legislation

noun

leg·is·la·tion | \ ˌle-jə-ˈslā-shən

Definition of legislation

1 : the action of legislating specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules (such as laws) that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of a state or other organization the major function of Congress is legislation — W. S. Sayre

2 : the enactments of a legislator or a legislative body legislation to help distressed homeowners

3 : a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body She proposed new legislation to protect the environment.

Examples of legislation in a Sentence

They passed new state legislation this week. Two new pieces of legislation are being considered. She introduced legislation for protecting the environment. More legislation is needed on this matter. Certain animals are protected under state legislation. One of the important functions of government is legislation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsom had previously pledged to sign the bill, but there remains some uncertainty about its future because of a message Newsom’s office posted on Twitter about changes the governor wants made to the legislation. — Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: A woman’s name and the long shadow of the Stanford rape case," 5 Sep. 2019 CNBC Hong Kong Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam will reportedly withdraw the extradition-to-mainland-China legislation that sparked the city’s mass protests. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Dow Chemical’s Sustainability Drive: CEO Daily," 4 Sep. 2019 There’s also the question of whether Sanders would back the elimination of the filibuster, as Warren has done, to pass climate legislation. — Mark K. Matthews, Scientific American, "Five Things to Watch During CNN’s Climate Forum," 4 Sep. 2019 Republicans have long been resistant to gun safety legislation, but the political landscape around the issue is changing. — New York Times, "Texas Shooting Brings New Urgency to Gun Debate in Congress," 1 Sep. 2019 Uber and Lyft have asked drivers to lobby for its alternative to the legislation. — Faiz Siddiqui, Washington Post, "Uber and Lyft are floating a $21 minimum wage. Critics say it’s closer to $15.," 31 Aug. 2019 Last month, the General Assembly passed legislation giving those groups a one-year reprieve from a 68% hike in costs that was to take effect July 1. — Tom Loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky high court rules mental health center can't escape pension costs with bankruptcy," 29 Aug. 2019 There’s also the chance that the termination of the consent decrees will inspire Congress to pass legislation to regulate public performance organizations in much the same way the consent decrees do. — Ed Christman, Billboard, "DOJ Consent Decree Review Moving Fast, Reviewing Hundreds of Comments From Across the Industry," 23 Aug. 2019 Those minimum salaries have not changed since 1980, according to the legislation. — Jason Silverstein, CBS News, "Illinois increases minimum teacher salaries across the state," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'legislation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

9 Sep 2019

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The first known use of legislation was in 1606

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More Definitions for legislation

legislation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of legislation

: a law or set of laws made by a government

: the action or process of making laws

See the full definition for legislation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

legislation

noun

leg·is·la·tion | \ ˌle-jə-ˈslā-shən

Kids Definition of legislation

1 : the action of making laws

2 : the laws that are made Congress passed new legislation protecting the environment.

legislation

noun

leg·is·la·tion | \ ˌle-jəs-ˈlā-shən

Legal Definition of legislation

1 : the making or giving of laws specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of the state

2 : the enactments of a legislator or legislative body

3 : a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body recently proposed legislation