ENGLISH
REFERENCE

legislation

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ˌɫɛdʒəˈsɫeɪʃən// UK //lˌɛdʒɪslˈeɪʃən// leg·is·la·tion

n. a law or a set of laws that a government makes. It is the formal process of creating rules that everyone in a country must follow.

n. a law or set of laws enacted by a legislative body. Often used to refer to the entire process of making laws or the collective body of statutes within a specific jurisdiction.


SIMPLE

The government introduced new legislation to protect the environment.

CONTEXTUAL

The parliament passed landmark legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions across the industrial sector.

COMPLEX

Legal experts argue that the proposed legislation lacks the necessary enforcement mechanisms to effectively deter corporate tax evasion in the long term.

Synonyms
Origin

From Late Latin lēgislātiō (“the giving of the law”). Morphologically legislate + -ion.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the laws collectively or the process of law-making; it does not take a plural form.

Pitfall

The government passed many legislations.The government passed much legislation.Legislation is uncountable; use 'much' or 'pieces of legislation' instead of a plural form.

© 2026 English Reference