different between legislate vs specify

English

Etymology

Back-formation from legislation, legislator.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?d??s?le?t/

Verb

legislate (third-person singular simple present legislates, present participle legislating, simple past and past participle legislated)

1. To pass laws (including the amending or repeal of existing laws).

   If they can't get people to do the right thing by talking then they will try to legislate it, then they can try to enforce the statutes.

Derived terms

Translations

English

Etymology

From Old French specifier, especefier, or directly from Medieval Latin specific?, from specificus (“specific”).

Pronunciation

• (UK)IPA^(key): /?sp?s.?.fa?/
• (US)IPA^(key): /?sp?s.??fa?/
• Hyphenation: spe?ci?fy

Verb

specify (third-person singular simple present specifies, present participle specifying, simple past and past participle specified)

1. (transitive) To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition.
2. (transitive) To include in a specification.
3. (transitive) To bring about a specific result.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To speak explicitly or in detail (often used with of).

Synonyms

• explicitize
• disambiguate

Derived terms

• above-specified

Related terms

• specifiable
• specific
• specification

Translations