legislate

verb

leg·​is·​late ˈle-jə-ˌslāt How to pronounce legislate (audio)
legislated; legislating
Synonyms of legislatenext

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a sizzling dissent for the court's three liberals, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson castigated the majority for diminishing not just individual religious rights, but the power of Congress to legislate. Nina Totenberg, NPR, 23 June 2026 One year ago today, New York signed the Fashion Workers Act into law, legislating access to workplace protection for models, and enforcing tighter regulation policies for the management companies that represent them. Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 19 June 2026 LeRoy, who hasn’t supported the Protect College Sports Act, sees issues under the Sherman Antitrust Act and can’t see how Congress can legislate economic regulations that prevent more competitive conferences from breaking away. Teresa M. Walker, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026 Although there have been numerous attempts in Congress to legislate college sports, none to date has succeeded. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for legislate

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legislate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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

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