legislature

legislature — noun

1. a formal institution — usually made up of elected representatives — that has the

1.nounB2
Definition

a formal institution — usually made up of elected representatives — that has the authority to create, amend, or remove laws for a country, state, or region.

Example

The state legislature voted to increase funding for public schools this year.

collocation: state legislature (regional body)

Tariq's father was elected to the national legislature after twenty years of community work.

Common collocations
  • the legislature passed / approved / rejected [a bill]
  • the legislature voted to [do something]
  • the legislature debated [an issue]
  • serve in the legislature
  • members of the legislature
Synonyms
  • parliament

    Commonly used in countries with a Westminster-style system (UK, India, Australia); usually refers to the national law-making body.

  • congress

    Used in the United States and some Latin American countries; typically a bicameral national body.

  • assembly

    Often used for state or provincial law-making bodies (e.g. California State Assembly); can also refer to a single-chamber national body.

  • council

    Usually refers to a smaller or more local body, such as a city council, rather than a national or state legislature.

Grammar Patterns

the + legislature

legislature + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

Frequently used with a definite article ("the legislature"). In federal systems, distinguish between "the national / federal legislature" and "a state / provincial legislature." The actual name varies by country: Parliament (UK, India, Canada), Congress (USA, Brazil), National Assembly (France, Kenya), or Legislative Yuan (Taiwan).

Common Mistakes

The new legislature bans smoking in public places.
The new legislation bans smoking in public places.
'legislature' is the institution that makes laws; 'legislation' refers to the laws themselves.
The legislator passed a law on education reform.
The legislature passed a law on education reform.
'legislator' is an individual member; 'legislature' is the whole group.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to groups that make laws or decisions, but they differ in scope and region. 'Parliament' typically names the national law-making body in countries following the British Westminster model (the UK Parliament, the Indian Parliament). 'Congress' is the standard term for the US national legislature (the US Congress) and is also used in several Latin American nations. 'Assembly' is more flexible: it can refer to a national body (the UN General Assembly) but often describes state or provincial-level bodies (the California State Assembly). 'Council' usually applies to smaller, more local bodies (a city council, a student council) and generally has less authority than a full legislature or parliament. For example, the US Congress passes federal laws, while a city council only makes local ordinances.

parliament ↗congress ↗assembly ↗council ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • state legislature
  • national legislature
  • federal legislature
  • member of the legislature
  • session of the legislature

Phrases

  • the legislature passed a law
  • the legislature voted on
  • serve in the legislature
  • the legislature approved
  • the legislature rejected

Prepositions

  • in the legislature
  • to the legislature
  • by the legislature
  • through the legislature
  • before the legislature

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Comes from Latin 'lex' (law) plus 'latus' (the past participle of 'ferre' — to carry or bring), combined into 'legislator' meaning 'one who brings forth a law'. English formed 'legislature' in the 1600s by adding the suffix '-ure', following the pattern of 'judicature' and 'magistrature', to refer to the institution that carries out law-making.