legislative branch

noun

plural legislative branches

: the branch of a government that is charged with such powers as making laws, levying and collecting taxes, and making financial appropriations : legislature, legislative compare executive branch, judicial branch

Examples of legislative branch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Congress is still in the early stages of regulating artificial intelligence, and the legislative branch is due to be away from Washington and out of session starting at the end of this week and until after November’s election. — Garrett Downs,justin Papp, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

The legislative branch sets the budget and gives dozens of federal agencies instructions on distributing those funds; the agencies create detailed policies to select grant applicants and get the money out the door. — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 29 Sep. 2026

First created in the aftermath of the Vietnam War as a way to hold a president accountable for military actions, the war powers act has long posed a test of the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government. — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

The vote also marked the latest battle in a Capitol Hill ethics crusade that's reshaping the makeup and work of the legislative branch as the midterm elections approach. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legislative branch

• avalanche
• blanch
• cranch
• manche
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche