legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈle-jə-ˌslāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
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

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 Fast food may be a tough habit to legislate away, though. Brian Gallagher, New York Times, 12 May 2024 Wexton made the difficult decision last fall to not seek reelection in 2024, citing the challenges of legislating with PSP as too great to overcome. Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for legislate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legislate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from legislator

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of legislate was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near legislate

Cite this Entry

“Legislate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislate. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

legislate

verb
leg·​is·​late ˈlej-ə-ˌslāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
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 How to pronounce legislate (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on legislate

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