Etymograph

English

legislation

Legislation comes from Late Latin lēgislātiō ‘the giving of the law’.

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CElēgislātiō1‘the giving of the law’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2003legislation1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English legislation
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2003, Ruben E. Agpalo, Statutory Construction: “The general rule is that constitutional provisions are self-executing,…”.

Lineage

  1. Late Latinc. 200–600 CElēgislātiōWiktionary, English legislation‘the giving of the law’
  2. Englishearliest quotation 2003legislationWiktionary, English legislation. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2003, Ruben E. Agpalo, Statutory Construction: “The general rule is that constitutional provisions are self-executing,…”

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Today it means

noun The act of legislating; preparation and enactment of laws.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “legislation”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Late Latin lēgislātiō / legislation