leg·is·late

(lĕj′ĭ-slāt′)

v. leg·is·lat·ed, leg·is·lat·ing, leg·is·lates

v.intr.

To draft or enact laws.

v.tr.

1. To draft or enact (a law).

2. To bring about, establish, or influence by means of legislation: legislate safety standards; legislate social attitudes.

[Back-formation from legislator.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

legislating - the act of making or enacting laws

lawmaking, legislation

governing, government activity, government, governance, administration - the act of governing; exercising authority; "regulations for the governing of state prisons"; "he had considerable experience of government"

criminalisation, criminalization - legislation that makes something illegal; "the criminalization of marijuana"

decriminalisation, decriminalization - legislation that makes something legal that was formerly illegal

enactment, passage - the passing of a law by a legislative body

legislation, statute law - law enacted by a legislative body

law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

reconsider - consider again (a bill) that had been voted upon before, with a view to altering it

filibuster - obstruct deliberately by delaying

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

But there is, I think, small wisdom in legislating about such matters,-- I doubt if it is ever done; nor are any precise written enactments about them likely to be lasting.

View in context

The diet possesses the general power of legislating for the empire; of making war and peace; contracting alliances; assessing quotas of troops and money; constructing fortresses; regulating coin; admitting new members; and subjecting disobedient members to the ban of the empire, by which the party is degraded from his sovereign rights and his possessions forfeited.

View in context

It would do better to respect the people's mandate by legislating according to the spirit of the Constitution.

Ruling through ordinances

'If the incoming 18th Congress succeeds in legislating a national minimum wage measure and a bill that scraps Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law's additional excise tax, then that is the only time that we can say we are listening to our workers and giving them the justice they deserve,' the Marawi civic leader

Gutoc, Colmenares: Congress must pass national minimum wage

Cuomo is facing resistance from his own Democratic party and his reliable allies in organized labor on making permanent the 2 percent property tax cap and legislating a prevailing wage for construction workers on projects that receive government incentives.

Cantor: Tax cap and prevailing wage critical to Long Island's economy

During an economic forum Wednesday, Dindo Manhit, president of policy research body Stratbase ADR Institute, said the government must first plug loopholes in collection before legislating more tax measures.

Think tank urges gov't to plug tax collection loopholes first

This too, PMHA added, refers to legislating on the issue.

PMHA welcomes political parties' will to support PWDs

The SC told that the last two Chief Ministers Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Nawab Sanaullah Zehri made no improvement in education sector during their tenure adding that we don't have the privilege to legislate and those who do have it are not legislating'.

We want education

Mr Williams said: "The power-grab clause will allow Westminster to intercept powers from Wales and restrict the Assembly from legislating on devolved matters such as agriculture, the environment and transport.

MP urges parties to foil London 'power- grab'

'The parliament may have failed in making legislating for across the board accountability of all but it must not fail in making legislation for the protection of media persons.

Farhatullah Babar for legislation to protect journalists