Jump To:

• constitution
  constitution

  noun

  the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.
• Constitution
  Constitution

  The fundamental law of the United States, drafted in Philadelphia in 1787 (see Constitutional Convention), ratified in 1788, and put into effect in 1789. It established a strong central government in place of the Articles of Confederation. (See Preamble to the Constitution.)

Trivia Time

What are the opening words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution?

Test Your Knowledge

constitution

American  

[kon-sti-too-shuhn, -tyoo-] / ˌkɒn stɪˈtu ʃən, -ˈtju- /

noun

• constitutions
  plural

1. the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.

2. the document embodying these principles.

3. (initial capital letter) Constitution of the United States.

4. the way in which a thing is composed or made up; makeup; composition.

   the chemical constitution of the cleanser.

5. the physical character of the body as to strength, health, etc..

   He has a strong constitution.

6. Medicine/Medical, Psychology. the aggregate of a person's physical and psychological characteristics.

7. the act or process of constituting; establishment.

8. the state of being constituted; formation.

9. any established arrangement or custom.

10. Archaic. character or condition of mind; disposition; temperament.

---

constitution British  

/ ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of constituting or state of being constituted

2. the way in which a thing is composed; physical make-up; structure

3. the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed, esp when considered as embodying the rights of the subjects of that state

4. (often capital) (in certain countries, esp Australia and the US) a statute embodying such principles

5. a person's state of health

6. a person's disposition of mind; temperament

---

Constitution ¹ Cultural  

1. The fundamental law of the United States, drafted in Philadelphia in 1787 (see Constitutional Convention), ratified in 1788, and put into effect in 1789. It established a strong central government in place of the Articles of Confederation. (See Preamble to the Constitution.)

---

constitution ² Cultural  

1. A nation or state's fundamental set of laws. Most nations with constitutions have them in written form, such as the United States Constitution. The constitution of Britain, by contrast, is an informal set of traditions, based on several different laws.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticonstitution
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• constitutions
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of constitution

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English constitucion “edict, ordinance,” from Anglo-French, from Latin constitūtiōn-, stem of constitūtiō “an appointing, establishing”; see constitute, -ion

---

Explanation

A constitution is a statement of the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or group, such as the U.S. Constitution. Another very common meaning of constitution is the physical makeup of a person. The noun constitution is from Latin, from constitutus, "set up, established," plus the suffix -ion, meaning "act, state, or condition." So think of a constitution as how a body (yours, the government's) is set up. If you have a strong constitution, it means you don't get sick very often.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

constitution Constitution constitutions

Kentucky amended its constitution to prevent lame-duck pardons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

As Suleyman properly saw the constitution, it virtually took it as read that Claude could become conscious.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

International security analyst Ovigwe Eguegu argues that Kabila is banking on military force to regain political influence, while Tshisekedi seems to be trying to extend his time in office beyond what the constitution allows.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

And, he said "the constitution stipulates that no one can be coerced into renouncing their beliefs, yet people here are being imprisoned for their beliefs".

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Half the members of the assembly would be elected on a national basis and half on a regional one, and the assembly would be empowered both to write a new constitution and to pass legislation.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Six Unknown Named Agents, the Supreme Court recognized that the Constitution inherently empowers people to sue federal agents who violate the rights that the Constitution protects.

From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026

What seemed at first a great bargain soon raised larger questions about what the Constitution allowed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Constitution, attorneys for Meta wrote in its lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the move over a practice it said conlifted with "human dignity, fairness, and the values enshrined in our Constitution."

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026

In fact, the Virginia Resolutions described the Alien and Sedition Acts as “alarming infractions” of the Constitution that violated the free speech guarantees of the First Amendment.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

He said he would enforce state laws he doesn’t like as long as they are in line with the California and U.S. constitutions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

It also runs counter to a long history of immigration in Argentina, which has one of the world's most lenient constitutions in this regard, according to sociologist Ivan Schuliaquer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Nine out of the 11 states that adopted revolutionary constitutions included protections for freedom of the press.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

In response to the decree, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and north-east said it was "a first step" but called for "permanent constitutions that express the will of the people", rather than "temporary decrees".

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026

These “cat treats” were an abomination, but they had clearly been engineered to appeal to the weak constitutions of Earth felines.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• charter
• code
• custom
• legislation

---