Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| corps législatif | masculine |
| assemblée législative | feminine |
The term refers to a governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws. When you want to refer specifically to the branch of government (the legislative branch) rather than the physical body of people, French speakers often use the phrase le pouvoir législatif.
What does it mean word for word?
The term corps législatif is a literal translation of 'legislative body', where corps means body and législatif means legislative.
Which one should you use?
The form corps législatif is often used to refer to the institution as a singular, formal entity, while assemblée législative emphasizes the assembly of members.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, L'Assemblée Nationale is the primary way to express legislature.
How does it change in a sentence?
corps législatif is a masculine noun, whereas assemblée législative is a feminine noun.
Did you know?
- The word corps in corps législatif contains a silent 'p' that was added centuries later to mimic its Latin ancestor, 'corpus'.
- In everyday conversation in France, people are far more likely to say le Parlement than the more technical corps législatif.
- In French, the word corps describes both a physical human body and a formal group of people, such as a corps législatif or a diplomatic unit.
Examples in context
- Le Parlement a voté en faveur de la nouvelle loi.The legislature voted in favor of the new law.
- Le pays a un nouveau corps législatif.The country has a new legislature.
- Le pouvoir appartient au corps législatif.The power belongs to the legislature.
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are discussing government structures.
- LucasComment fonctionne le corps législatif dans ce pays ?How does the legislature work in this country?
- ManonIl est composé de deux chambres différentes.It is composed of two different chambers.
- LucasEst-ce que le corps législatif peut rejeter le budget ?Can the legislature reject the budget?
- ManonOui, Manon pense que c'est leur pouvoir principal.Yes, Manon thinks it is their main power.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “legislature” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries assemblée, corps, législatif, CC BY-SA 4.0.
