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

Like prediction markets, their power lay as much in predication as prediction, in legislating what can be asked, priced, and made real—or made valuable as art assets. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

The British and Australian parliaments could legislate to alter a monarch’s immunity. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Plus, Congress has a very small window to legislate before the end of the year. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026

Those ideas can’t be legislated into existence, yet institutions, social movements, customs, and habits can shape them over time. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 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