Etymologically
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legislature

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:23. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈlɛd͡ʒɪsləˌt͡ʃʊə/, /ˈlɛd͡ʒɪslət͡ʃə/ (UK); /ˈlɛd͡ʒɪˌsleɪt͡ʃɚ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from legislator and -ure,[2][3][4] on the pattern of judicature.[4][5] NODE derives it from legislation.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A body of lawmakers; the power that makes laws: the 1670s in Etymonline, before 1676 in the OED;[2][6] MWU dates it to 1654.[3]

Semantic evolution

Johnson defined it as the power that makes laws.[6][7] The exercise of legislative power is an obsolete sense of the early 18th century.[6] In the United States it is the usual word for a state lawmaking body.[8]

Timeline

  • 1654 – first use (MWU).[3]
  • 1670s – a lawmaking body.[2]
  • early 18th century – legislation (obsolete).[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A body of people with the power to make, change or repeal laws.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
  8. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin