legislate

What is another word for legislate? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.

Verb — To make laws, including changing or cancelling laws that already exist.

We haven't recorded synonyms for legislate yet. You can still read its full definition, where it comes from, or words that rhyme with it.

How to use legislate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

legislate against legislate for power to legislate legislate on an issue fail to legislate

It's a formal word, mostly used about parliaments, governments and other official law-making bodies.

Etymology

The verb was formed by working backwards from the existing nouns legislation and legislator, stripping their endings to create a matching verb. This kind of formation, building a shorter word from a longer one already in use, is called a back-formation.

Full origin of legislate →

Frequently asked questions

What does legislate mean?

It means to create or pass laws, or to change or remove laws that already exist.

What's the difference between legislate and legislation?

Legislate is the verb for the act of making laws, while legislation is the noun for the laws themselves or the process as a whole.

Can you say "legislate for" and "legislate against" something?

Yes, both are standard: legislate for means to pass a law supporting something, and legislate against means to pass a law banning or restricting it.

Nearby words

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