Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Legislation has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
law enacted by a legislative body
"The new legislation passed by Congress will now require all schools to offer free lunches."
the act of making or enacting laws
"The town council spent all night debating the new legislation before finally voting to pass it."
The act of legislating; preparation and enactment of laws.
"The committee spent all afternoon debating the new legislation before finally voting to pass it into law."
In plain English: Legislation is a law that has been created and passed by a government group.
"The new legislation aims to protect consumers from unfair practices."
Usage: Legislation refers to the actual laws that have been enacted by a governing body, rather than the process of creating them. Use this word when discussing specific statutes or the collective body of rules in force.
The word legislation comes from Late Latin lēgislātiō, which originally meant "the giving of the law." It entered English as a noun formed by adding the suffix -ion to the verb legislate.