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

Hollywood Casino and city officials lobbied in Springfield to get that legislation, and Aurora representatives downstate had a lot to do with sponsoring and pushing it. — Steve Lord, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora looks at $10 million purchase of land near outlet mall," 14 June 2019 Councilman Eric Costello, whose district includes downtown, said such legislation could be subject to legal challenges. — Yvonne Wenger, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore mayor working on a new plan for handling Baltimore's 'squeegee kids'," 13 June 2019 Experts believe that the 2015 legislation is the reason that California has been spared the worst of the current measles outbreak, the Hollywood Reporter added. — Martha Ross, The Mercury News, "Jessica Biel defends lobbying in Sacramento against vaccination legislation; critics say she ‘wants to bring measles back’," 13 June 2019 The City Council legislation is being spearheaded by Mr. Johnson, the speaker, as well as Councilman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, who leads the Council’s oversight and investigations committee. — Brian M. Rosenthal, New York Times, "Facing Ruin, Taxi Drivers to Get $10 Million Break and Loan Safeguards," 12 June 2019 Lamb expects the legislation to be ready in the fall of this year, after council returns from it’s summer recess. — Sean Mcdonnell - Special To Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Medina City Council discusses adding another step before demolitions," 12 June 2019 Morgan said no legislation is perfect, but there were new laws geared to help the middle class. — Steve Sadin, Lake County News-Sun, "Deerfield legislators defend votes on gun issues, marijuana at post-session town hall," 12 June 2019 Chief Executive Carrie Lam told the media Monday that the legislation is important and will help Hong Kong uphold justice and fulfill its international obligations. — Fox News, "Hong Kong leader signals extradition bill will go forward," 10 June 2019 The pressure Beijing has placed on Hong Kong’s leaders to pass new extradition legislation is the latest development in this ongoing trend. — Eric Kleefeld, Vox, "Hundreds of thousands attend protest in Hong Kong over extradition bill," 9 June 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

17 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for legislation

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