legislative
Americanadjective
-
having the function of making laws.
a legislative body.
-
of or relating to the enactment of laws.
legislative proceedings; legislative power.
-
pertaining to a legislature.
a legislative recess.
-
enacted or ordained by legislation or a legislature.
legislative ruling; legislative remedy.
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to legislation
-
having the power or function of legislating
a legislative assembly
-
of or relating to a legislature
noun
Other Word Forms
- legislatively adverb
- nonlegislative adjective
- nonlegislatively adverb
- prelegislative adjective
- pseudolegislative adjective
- quasi-legislative adjective
- quasi-legislatively adverb
- semilegislative adjective
- semilegislatively adverb
- unlegislative adjective
- unlegislatively adverb
Etymology
Origin of legislative
First recorded in 1635–45; legislat(ion) + -ive
Explanation
Legislative is an adjective that describes the act or process of passing laws. Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government. They're the ones who can pass bills, which the president can sign into law or veto. A legislator is someone charged with creating and passing new laws in the legislature. All of these words come from the same root words — lex and legis (meaning "law") and lator (meaning "proposer"). So a legislator is literally a proposer of law, and their actions are legislative in nature. If you are interested in the legislative process, you might consider going to law school and running for office. Or you might just enjoy a movie about politics instead.
Vocabulary lists containing legislative
U.S. Government Lingo
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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Civics I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It was always a concern but it was unpredictable because they didn’t have the legislative or regulatory basis,” Ross says.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Cambodia is actively addressing online scams through strengthened enforcement, legislative action and expanded international cooperation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Becerra was respected by colleagues across the aisle, including former GOP legislative leader and state Republican party chairman Jim Brulte.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
They must be rubber-stamped by a meeting of F1's legislative body, the FIA world council.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
In November 1963, an election was held for the Transkei legislative assembly.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
