as in parliaments
a group of people with the power to make or change laws
Our legislature passed a law requiring people to wear safety belts. Each state has its own legislature. state legislatures
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Recent Examples of legislatures
International climate agreements like the Paris accord set targets but are implemented through national legislatures, courts and elections, where governments remain accountable to their citizens and can be voted out.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
This form of rule does not dispense with elections, courts, or legislatures.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The dismantling of Section 2 would open the floodgates for widespread vote dilution by allowing primarily Southern state legislatures to redraw political districts, weakening the voting power of racial minorities.
—Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
The anti-trapping bills that are pumped through legislatures each year show no signs of ceasing.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Still, questions remain about the sway health experts will have in state legislatures.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
The National Immigration Law Center fights in courts and legislatures to protect low-income immigrants, ensuring that civil rights don’t disappear simply because of where someone was born.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Between the time of the Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution, the framers had become increasingly suspicious of the democratic excesses of legislatures.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In many ways the behind-the-scenes chief architect of the state’s budget adoption process, Keane has piloted dozens of legislatures through the labyrinthine task of crafting the multibillion plans that guide so much of life here.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
This form of rule does not dispense with elections, courts, or legislatures.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
The dismantling of Section 2 would open the floodgates for widespread vote dilution by allowing primarily Southern state legislatures to redraw political districts, weakening the voting power of racial minorities.
—Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026
The anti-trapping bills that are pumped through legislatures each year show no signs of ceasing.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Still, questions remain about the sway health experts will have in state legislatures.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
The National Immigration Law Center fights in courts and legislatures to protect low-income immigrants, ensuring that civil rights don’t disappear simply because of where someone was born.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Between the time of the Revolution and the ratification of the Constitution, the framers had become increasingly suspicious of the democratic excesses of legislatures.
—Bernadette Meyler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In many ways the behind-the-scenes chief architect of the state’s budget adoption process, Keane has piloted dozens of legislatures through the labyrinthine task of crafting the multibillion plans that guide so much of life here.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legislatures
Noun
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Branting was Sweden’s Prime Minister at the time they were awarded the prize, while Lange became secretary-general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union—an international organization of national parliaments—in 1909 and managed the organization through the first World War.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
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Nominations can be made by a variety of individuals including members of national parliaments or governments, previous laureates, university professors in relevant fields and members of international courts.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are signs that lawmakers in both parties see the benefits of taking steps to add houses before this year's elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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Sixty-five warming spaces — located at hospitals, houses of worship and schools — are active around town throughout the weekend, with warming buses also parked outside many of the hospitals and also transit hubs.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The foundation hosts biannual congresses, with panels devoted to discussing recent threats to the rule of law, and awarding honors to lawyers who defend it.—
Fabio Bertoni,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
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More than 300 full and non-voting delegates of the powerful Central Committee will gather in Beijing for the closed-door plenum, one of seven meetings typically held within five years, between party congresses.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Legislatures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legislatures. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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