legislature

noun

leg·​is·​la·​ture ˈle-jə-ˌslā-chər 

 also  ˌle-jə-ˈslā-,

 British often  ˈle-jə-slə-chə

: a body of persons having the power to legislate

specifically : an organized body having the authority to make laws for a political unit

Examples of legislature in a Sentence

Our legislature passed a law requiring people to wear safety belts.

Each state has its own legislature.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, passed by the Illinois legislature in 2021, has somewhat defined Pritzker’s approach to making green development projects economically feasible. —Lily Carey, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025

The Sazerac cocktail is also recognized by the Louisiana legislature as the official cocktail of New Orleans. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Among thousands of acts of clemency was a decision to commute the sentence of Adrian Peeler, a 48-year-old convicted of conspiring to murder an eight-year-old boy and his mother in 1999, a notorious crime that caused the tightening of state laws by the Connecticut legislature. —The Editors, National Review, 17 July 2025

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. —Bella Carpentier, The Courier-Journal, 16 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for legislature

• nomenclature
• nature

Kids Definition

legislature

noun

leg·​is·​la·​ture ˈlej-ə-ˌslā-chər 

: an organized body of persons having the authority to make laws

Legal Definition

legislature

noun

leg·​is·​la·​ture ˈle-jəs-ˌlā-chər, -ˌchu̇r 

: a body of persons having the power to legislate

specifically : an organized body having the authority to make laws for a political unit (as a nation or state) compare executive, judiciary