legislate
verb
leg·is·late
ˈle-jə-ˌslāt 
legislated; legislating
: to perform the function of legislation
specifically
: to make or enact laws
: to mandate, establish, or regulate by or as if by legislation
Examples of legislate in a Sentence
They are attempting to legislate morality.
the need to better legislate foreign trade
trying to legislate changes in the current law
Recent Examples on the Web
The legal liability of destroying these embryos led many IVF clinics to pause operations until carve-outs could be legislated — frequently by ostensibly pro-life Republicans.
—
Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 13 June 2024
That polarization is creating a self-perpetuating cycle One major factor complicating our national immigration debate is that for all the talk on the issue, the country has done very little to legislate on it.
—Matt Collette, Vox, 6 June 2024
The Council has the foundational charter power to legislate, to approve the city’s budget, and the authority to override a mayor’s veto.
—Mitchell Silver, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
Over the last 20 years, Congress has been turned into a clown show seemingly incapable of legislating.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for legislate 
Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 13 June 2024
That polarization is creating a self-perpetuating cycle One major factor complicating our national immigration debate is that for all the talk on the issue, the country has done very little to legislate on it.
—Matt Collette, Vox, 6 June 2024
The Council has the foundational charter power to legislate, to approve the city’s budget, and the authority to override a mayor’s veto.
—Mitchell Silver, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
Over the last 20 years, Congress has been turned into a clown show seemingly incapable of legislating.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for legislate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'legislate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near legislate
Cite this Entry
“Legislate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legislate
verb
leg·is·late
ˈlej-ə-ˌslāt
legislated; legislating
1
: to make laws
the constitutional power to legislate
2
: to cause, establish, or regulate by legislation
legislating foreign trade
Legal Definition
legislate
verb
leg·is·late
ˈle-jəs-ˌlāt
legislated; legislating
: to perform the function of legislation
specifically
: to make or enact laws
: to cause, create, provide, or bring about by legislation
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