Lawmaker

/ˈlɔːˌmeɪkər/

nounmedium📊CommonAction
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

A person who is part of a legislative body and is responsible for creating and enacting laws.

/ˈlɔːˌmeɪkər/

nounneutralmedium
Action

A person who makes laws; a legislator.

The lawmakers are considering new regulations for the tech industry.

💡 Simply: Imagine someone is in charge of making the rules for the whole country or state. That's a lawmaker! They're like the rule-makers.

👶 For kids: A lawmaker is someone who helps make the rules for everyone to follow.

More Examples

2

Citizens have the right to contact their lawmakers to express their opinions.

3

The debate among the lawmakers centered on economic policies.

How It's Used

Politics

"Lawmakers debated the proposed bill for several hours before voting."

Government

"The committee of lawmakers is responsible for overseeing the budget."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Antonyms

From Middle English lawemaker, equivalent to law + maker. The term evolved to describe individuals responsible for creating or modifying laws.

The term 'lawmaker' has been used since the 14th century, primarily in reference to those responsible for creating laws.

Memory tip

Think of 'law' and 'maker' - someone who *makes* the laws.

Word Origin

LanguageMiddle English
Original meaning

"one who makes laws"

local lawmakersfederal lawmakersstate lawmakersexperienced lawmakersnew lawmakersopposing lawmakerslawmakers meetlawmakers debate

Common misspellings

law makerlaw-maker

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written