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
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of legislatures
Murphy also noted that fraud in state human services has been a problem that has existed for years over past governorships and legislatures.
—
Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
Supporters have also noted that unlike Republican gerrymandering efforts that have won approval only from state legislatures, California and Virginia have each put their redistricting proposals before the voters, as state law required in both cases.
—Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Some legislatures are attempting to find additional legal remedies for former kidfluencers who believe that they were harmed by oversharing parents.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Guy-Sheftall said privates tend to be more insulated from political pressure, particularly in Southern states where legislatures and regent boards — often dominated by conservatives — wield significant power over public universities.
—Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
State legislatures can define conversion therapy a bit more narrowly, for example, by prohibiting the physical and more coercive techniques that initially gave rise to these bans.
—Kevin Cope, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
As state legislatures around the country move to shield information about the off-the-field gains of college athletes, the Tennessee General Assembly is focused on protecting its public university athletic programs’ on-field advantages.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the elections will decide 824 assembly seats across five legislatures, with polling scheduled for several dates in April and the counting of votes set for May 4, several weeks before the terms of the incumbent assemblies expire.
—Shabnam Dohutia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The issue has also come up in state legislatures.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Matthew Stolle, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
Supporters have also noted that unlike Republican gerrymandering efforts that have won approval only from state legislatures, California and Virginia have each put their redistricting proposals before the voters, as state law required in both cases.
—Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Some legislatures are attempting to find additional legal remedies for former kidfluencers who believe that they were harmed by oversharing parents.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Guy-Sheftall said privates tend to be more insulated from political pressure, particularly in Southern states where legislatures and regent boards — often dominated by conservatives — wield significant power over public universities.
—Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Apr. 2026
State legislatures can define conversion therapy a bit more narrowly, for example, by prohibiting the physical and more coercive techniques that initially gave rise to these bans.
—Kevin Cope, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
As state legislatures around the country move to shield information about the off-the-field gains of college athletes, the Tennessee General Assembly is focused on protecting its public university athletic programs’ on-field advantages.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the elections will decide 824 assembly seats across five legislatures, with polling scheduled for several dates in April and the counting of votes set for May 4, several weeks before the terms of the incumbent assemblies expire.
—Shabnam Dohutia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The issue has also come up in state legislatures.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legislatures
Noun
-
The 213-seat upper house is scheduled to open Wednesday, with 14 regional parliaments set to convene two days after that.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In general, any agreements to end a war must be signed by the presidents, and then they must either be ratified by parliaments or through a referendum.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are majestic overhead views, grand Pacific sunsets, houses tucked among surrounding forests, their lights showing like fireflies through the foliage.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The village at the top consists of two restaurants (the more expensive one has a view of a steep canyon and the blue Rio Grande below) and a smattering of houses.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The list of signatories includes many of the field’s most prominent names, more than 50 of whom have spoken at previous congresses.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Palestinian soccer officials have long argued — including at FIFA annual congresses across the past 15 years, before Infantino was president — that Israel violates statutes by letting teams from settlements in the West Bank play in the national league.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legislatures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legislatures. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
