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Politics & Government vocabulary · Government and the Executive

Executive

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

/ɪɡˈzekjətɪv/nounCore term

In politics & government, executive means: The branch of government that puts laws into effect and runs the country day to day, made up of the head of government, ministers and their departments.

In Turkish: yürütme, yürütme organı

How it is used

Used with the: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary are the three branches of government. As an adjective it appears in executive power, executive order and executive branch.

Example sentences

  1. The constitution limits the power of the executive to spend money without parliament's approval.

  2. In this system, the executive is accountable to parliament.

Common collocations

  • the executive branch
  • executive power
  • executive order
  • head of the executive
  • legislatureThe elected body with the power to make, change and repeal laws, such as a parliament, congress or national assembly.
  • judiciaryThe branch of the state made up of judges and courts, which interprets the law, settles disputes and decides whether laws and government actions are legal.
  • separation of powersThe principle that the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the state should be held by separate bodies, so that no single body becomes too powerful.
  • governmentThe group of people who run a country at a given time, led by a prime minister or president; more broadly, the system and institutions through which a state is governed.
  • cabinetThe group of senior ministers, led by the prime minister or president, who meet regularly to decide government policy.

More terms: Government and the Executive

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