executive branch

[ ig-zek-yuh-tiv branch ]

noun

1. the branch of government charged with the execution and enforcement of laws and policies and the administration of public affairs; the executive.

executive branch

1. The branch of federal and state government that is broadly responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing the laws made by the legislative branch and interpreted by the judicial branch . At the state level, the executive includes governors and their staffs. At the federal level, the executive includes the president, the vice president, staffs of appointed advisers (including the cabinet ), and a variety of departments and agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) , the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) , and the Postal Service ( see postmaster general ). The executive branch also proposes a great deal of legislation to Congress and appoints federal judges, including justices of the Supreme Court . Although the executive branch guides the nation's domestic and foreign policies, the system of checks and balances works to limit its power.

Word History and Origins

Origin of executive branch¹

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

“We will pass critical reforms making every executive branch employee fireable by the president,” he said last year, adding: “I will wield that power very aggressively.”

From Los Angeles Times

The exercises demonstrated repeatedly that an authoritarian in control of the executive branch with little concern for legal limits holds a structural advantage over any lawful effort to restrain him.

From Salon

However, Trump's extensive power as the head of the executive branch could offer him a way around this formality.

From Salon

The newly elected leader of the incoming majority, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., likewise affirmed his commitment to the Senate’s traditional role of providing “advice and consent” to the executive branch.

From Salon

Opponents argue against their routine use, and members of the Senate are historically protective of their role as a check on the executive branch.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bureau
• department