legislation

noun

leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌle-jə-ˈslā-shən How to pronounce legislation (audio)
1
: the action of legislating
specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules (such as laws) that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of a state or other organization
the major function of Congress is legislation W. S. Sayre
2
: the enactments of a legislator or a legislative body
legislation to help distressed homeowners
3
: a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body
She proposed new legislation to protect the environment.

Examples of legislation in a Sentence

They passed new state legislation this week. Two new pieces of legislation are being considered. She introduced legislation for protecting the environment. More legislation is needed on this matter. Certain animals are protected under state legislation. One of the important functions of government is legislation.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Air Force One was where President Eisenhower signed into law legislation creating the CIA and Department of Defense. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025 In archived letters, Warner asked President Truman for emergency legislation to allow refugees into Alaska, a land mass that could hold millions and even offered to fund the research to develop infrastructure to house them. Chris Yogerst / Made By History, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025 But Republican Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding said the legislation made sense. Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025 The legislation forces ByteDance to sell the app to a non-Chinese buyer or face a nationwide ban. Angela Yang, NBC News, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legislation

Word History

First Known Use

1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of legislation was in 1606

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Legislation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislation. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

legislation

noun
leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌlej-ə-ˈslā-shən How to pronounce legislation (audio)
1
: the action of making laws
2
: the laws made by a legislator or legislative body

Legal Definition

legislation

noun
leg·​is·​la·​tion ˌle-jəs-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce legislation (audio)
1
: the making or giving of laws
specifically : the exercise of the power and function of making rules that have the force of authority by virtue of their promulgation by an official organ of the state
2
: the enactments of a legislator or legislative body
3
: a matter of business for or under consideration by a legislative body
recently proposed legislation

More from Merriam-Webster on legislation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!