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

The latter is legislated by some other nations. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 June 2026

Congress isn't legislating these days. — CBS News, 7 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

The invisible power of the unelected despots of data and tech lords must be diminished; if families cannot control the disaster of digital addiction, states will have to legislate for them. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 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