Okuzeka
Politics & Government vocabulary · Parliament and Legislation

Legislature

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

/ˈledʒɪsleɪtʃə/nounCommon term

In politics & government, legislature means: The elected body with the power to make, change and repeal laws, such as a parliament, congress or national assembly.

In Turkish: yasama organı, yasama meclisi

How it is used

A general, formal term in political science and comparative writing, because it covers parliaments, congresses and assemblies. Legislatures can be unicameral (one chamber) or bicameral (two chambers). Federal countries also have regional or state legislatures.

Example sentences

  1. The legislature has two chambers: an elected lower house and a smaller upper house.

  2. The new law gives the legislature more control over the budget.

Common collocations

  • national legislature
  • state legislature
  • bicameral legislature
  • unicameral legislature
  • parliamentThe elected body of representatives that makes a country's laws, approves the budget and checks the work of the government.
  • executiveThe 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.
  • 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.
  • legislationLaws in general, or a particular law or group of laws made by a parliament or other law-making body; also the process of making them.
  • 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.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Parliament and Legislation

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: