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
Post-revolutionary period States legislated and regularly granted divorces.
—
Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The invisible power of the unelected despots of data and tech lords must be diminished; if families cannot control the disaster of digital addiction, states will have to legislate for them.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
In a sizzling dissent for the court's three liberals, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson castigated the majority for diminishing not just individual religious rights, but the power of Congress to legislate.
—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 June 2026
One year ago today, New York signed the Fashion Workers Act into law, legislating access to workplace protection for models, and enforcing tighter regulation policies for the management companies that represent them.
—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for legislate
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Patricia Fersch,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
The invisible power of the unelected despots of data and tech lords must be diminished; if families cannot control the disaster of digital addiction, states will have to legislate for them.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
In a sizzling dissent for the court's three liberals, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson castigated the majority for diminishing not just individual religious rights, but the power of Congress to legislate.
—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
23 June 2026
One year ago today, New York signed the Fashion Workers Act into law, legislating access to workplace protection for models, and enforcing tighter regulation policies for the management companies that represent them.
—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
19 June 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 Jul. 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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