legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈle-jə-ˌslāt 

legislated; legislating

intransitive verb

: to perform the function of legislation

specifically : to make or enact laws

transitive verb

: to mandate, establish, or regulate by or as if by legislation

Synonyms of legislate

• enact

Examples of legislate in a Sentence

They are attempting to legislate morality.

the need to better legislate foreign trade

trying to legislate changes in the current law

Recent Examples on the Web

Congress has wide latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate. — Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026

At a minimum, Congress must move to legislate a response to the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, which effectively greenlighted bottomless campaign funding from American corporations. — Matthew Duss, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026

Congress has some license to legislate in matters relating to national elections, but notably absent from Section 4 is any role for the executive branch to play. — John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

Offensive players get a win with the emphasis on defensive flopping while the defense is supposed to get the advantage if referees are legislating off-arm push-offs out of the game. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from legislator

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for legislate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈlej-ə-ˌslāt 

legislated; legislating

1

: to make laws

the constitutional power to legislate

2

: to cause, establish, or regulate by legislation

legislating foreign trade

Legal Definition

legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈle-jəs-ˌlāt 

legislated; legislating

intransitive verb

: to perform the function of legislation

specifically : to make or enact laws

transitive verb

: to cause, create, provide, or bring about by legislation