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
While many states have sought to attract data centers as an economic boon, legislatures and utility commissions were also flooded with proposals to try to protect regular ratepayers from paying to connect data centers to the grid.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Southern legislatures passed more than 450 measures designed to limit, delay, or evade Brown.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Socialists also occupied 150 seats in state legislatures at some time from 1910 to 1920.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
These victories set the stage for the 2026 midterms when Democrats have the opportunity for historic success in state legislatures across the country.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Analysts believe that Republicans stand to gain up to nine seats in these redrawn maps as state legislatures redrew five seats in Texas to favor Republicans, one in both North Carolina and Missouri, and two in Ohio.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
If this keeps up, the future of House elections in many states will be determined by the most recent makeup of their legislatures, a messier version of what the Senate was before the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Other blue states have implemented checks on gerrymandering powers by mandating commissions be the ones to redraw maps rather than legislatures.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Zimbalist said state legislatures or Congress may be the most likely to make rules that check such excesses.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Southern legislatures passed more than 450 measures designed to limit, delay, or evade Brown.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Socialists also occupied 150 seats in state legislatures at some time from 1910 to 1920.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
These victories set the stage for the 2026 midterms when Democrats have the opportunity for historic success in state legislatures across the country.
—News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Analysts believe that Republicans stand to gain up to nine seats in these redrawn maps as state legislatures redrew five seats in Texas to favor Republicans, one in both North Carolina and Missouri, and two in Ohio.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
If this keeps up, the future of House elections in many states will be determined by the most recent makeup of their legislatures, a messier version of what the Senate was before the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Other blue states have implemented checks on gerrymandering powers by mandating commissions be the ones to redraw maps rather than legislatures.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Zimbalist said state legislatures or Congress may be the most likely to make rules that check such excesses.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legislatures
Noun
-
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
-
Leadership does not reside in parliaments or boardrooms alone.—
Felipe Arango,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Namely, going after the drug traffickers themselves by raiding Mexican cartel trap houses and robbing their mules, using equipment borrowed from their parents including night-vision goggles and beanbag shotguns.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Wiener’s bill, SB 607, would require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature and then voter approval.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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 19 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share