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Showing results for legislator. Search instead for legislatorship.
Synonyms

legislator

American  
[lej-is-ley-ter] / ˈlɛdʒ ɪsˌleɪ tər /

noun

  1. a person who gives or makes laws.

    Synonyms:
    lawgiver, lawmaker

  2. a member of a legislative body.

legislator British  
/ ˈlɛdʒɪsˌleɪtə /

noun

  1. a person concerned with the making or enactment of laws

  2. a member of a legislature

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • legislatorship noun
  • legislatress noun

Etymology

Origin of legislator

1595–1605; < Latin phrase lēgis lātor a law's bringer (i.e., proposer), equivalent to lēgis (genitive of lēx law) + lātor bringer ( lā ( tus ), suppletive past participle of ferre to bring + -tor -tor

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.

During his time as a Rio legislator he was accused of involvement in a kickback scheme in which he took a portion of his aides' salaries, but the case was dismissed.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

He has held his seat for more than a decade and is the only sitting legislator in the race.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

"He is a good administrator. Whether as a legislator or a state minister, he has been transparent about his functioning."

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Forty years ago, Grisham was a lawyer and state legislator in Mississippi with an idea for a story about a racially charged murder trial, seen through the eyes of a young, idealistic attorney like himself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

“It’s just the way we are,” says Jorge Zarif Zetuna Curioca, a legislator from Ixtepec.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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.