legislation
noun
leg·is·la·tion
ˌle-jə-ˈslā-shən 
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
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
He's refused to sign the bipartisan legislation until Congress passes a voting restrictions bill called the SAVE America Act.
—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Alarmed by an avalanche of high-density development projects prompted by a developer-friendly state law, Miami commissioners have ordered the city attorney to look into challenging the controversial legislation.
—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Now, teens are using disguises to bypass both the law and parental monitoring, leaving parents with less control than before the legislation.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
And both got buried by ads that accused them of being bad Democrats for holding out their votes on Biden’s signature legislation.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for legislation
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Alarmed by an avalanche of high-density development projects prompted by a developer-friendly state law, Miami commissioners have ordered the city attorney to look into challenging the controversial legislation.
—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
Now, teens are using disguises to bypass both the law and parental monitoring, leaving parents with less control than before the legislation.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
And both got buried by ads that accused them of being bad Democrats for holding out their votes on Biden’s signature legislation.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for legislation
Cite this Entry
“Legislation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legislation. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
legislation
noun
leg·is·la·tion
ˌlej-ə-ˈslā-shən
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
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
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