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
This makes prediction markets the most useful and precise tool for eradicating exposing insider trading that has ever existed—a tool Congress should rely on heavily, not legislate out of existence.
—
Nic Puckrin, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Critiques of the bill Cohen added that under international law, Israel’s parliament should not be legislating in the West Bank, which is not sovereign Israeli territory.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accused the Republican National Committee on Monday of asking the Supreme Court to legislate from the bench by striking down late-arriving mail ballot laws, rather than having Congress or individual states pass laws ending mail ballot collection on Election Day.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
Although employer and consumer groups advocated for a benchmark payment rate to resolve surprise billing disputes between providers and insurers, Congress ultimately sided with providers and legislated an arbitration mandate.
—James Gelfand, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legislate
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Nic Puckrin, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Critiques of the bill Cohen added that under international law, Israel’s parliament should not be legislating in the West Bank, which is not sovereign Israeli territory.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accused the Republican National Committee on Monday of asking the Supreme Court to legislate from the bench by striking down late-arriving mail ballot laws, rather than having Congress or individual states pass laws ending mail ballot collection on Election Day.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
Although employer and consumer groups advocated for a benchmark payment rate to resolve surprise billing disputes between providers and insurers, Congress ultimately sided with providers and legislated an arbitration mandate.
—James Gelfand, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legislate
Cite this Entry
“Legislate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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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