noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈlɛd͡ʒɪsləˌt͡ʃʊə/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈlɛd͡ʒɪslət͡ʃə/
Canada, General-American:/ˈlɛd͡ʒɪˌsleɪt͡ʃɚ/
California, Southern:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L EH1 JH AH0 S L EY2 CH ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
state legislature
bicameral legislature
colonial legislature
members of the legislature
The state legislature passed a new education bill.
Members of the legislature debated late into the night.
The law cannot take effect until approved by the legislature.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws.
The legislative assembly of a province or territory, as opposed to the federal parliament.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A legislative building.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
persons who make or amend or repeal laws
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: legislative assembly, legislative body, general assembly, law-makers
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: assembly
Narrower terms: senate, Congress, United States Congress, U.S. Congress, US Congress, house, legislative council, diet, parliament, Duma
History
Etymology
1676, from stem of legislator + -ure, cognate with French législature.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
օրենսդիր մարմին
(ōrensdir marmin)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Armenian:
օրենսդիր
(ōrensdir)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Belarusian:
заканада́ўчая ўла́да
(zakanadáwčaja wláda)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Bulgarian:
законодателна власт
(zakonodatelna vlast)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Chinese Mandarin:
立法機關 /立法机关
(lìfǎ jīguān)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Czech:
zákonodárný sbor
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Czech:
legislatura
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Czech:
zákonodárná moc
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Danish:
lovgivende forsamling
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Dutch:
wetgevende macht
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Finnish:
lainsäädäntöelin
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
French:
corps législatif
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
French:
assemblée législative
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Georgian:
საკანონმდებლო
(saḳanonmdeblo)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Georgian:
საკანონმდებლო ორგანო
(saḳanonmdeblo organo)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Georgian:
საკანონმდებლო ხელისუფლება
(saḳanonmdeblo xelisupleba)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Georgian:
ლეგისლატურა
(legislaṭura)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
German:
Legislative
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
German:
gesetzgebende Gewalt
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Greek:
νομοθετικό σώμα
(nomothetikó sóma)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Hausa:
majalisa
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Hungarian:
törvényhozó testület
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Hungarian:
törvényhozás
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Indonesian:
legislatur
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Japanese:
立法府
(rippofu)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Khmer:
នីតិបញ្ញត្តិ
(niitebaññat)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Korean:
입법부
(ipbeopbu)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Korean:
립법부
(ripbeopbu)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Māori:
rūnanga hanga ture
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Navajo:
naatʼááh bá hooghan
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Norman:
législatuthe
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Persian:
مجلس
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Persian:
پارلمان
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Polish:
legislatura
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Polish:
legislatywa
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Polish:
władza ustawodawcza
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Portuguese:
legislatura
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Romanian:
corp legislativ
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Russian:
законода́тельная власть
(zakonodátelʹnaja vlastʹ)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Russian:
законода́тельный о́рган
(zakonodátelʹnyj órgan)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Russian:
заксобра́ние
(zaksobránije)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Slovak:
zákonodarná moc
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Slovak:
legislatúra
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Spanish:
legislatura
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Swedish:
lagstiftande församling
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Swedish:
legislatur
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Tagalog:
batasan
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Tamil:
சட்டமன்றம்
(caṭṭamaṉṟam)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Thai:
สภานิติบัญญัติ
(sà-paa-ní-dtì-ban-yàt)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Ukrainian:
законода́вча вла́да
(zakonodávča vláda)
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Vietnamese:
cơ quan lập pháp
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Welsh:
deddfwrfa
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
Welsh:
deddfwrfeydd
— governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws
