Constitutional Convention

American  

noun

1. the convention in Philadelphia (1787) of representatives from each of the former Colonies, except Rhode Island, at which the Constitution of the United States was framed.

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Constitutional Convention Cultural  

1. The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787; all states were invited to send delegates. The convention, meeting in Philadelphia, designed a government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It established Congress as a lawmaking body with two houses: each state is given two representatives in the Senate, whereas representation in the House of Representatives is based on population.

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Example Sentences

When the Constitutional Convention concluded on Sept. 17, 1787, its president, George Washington, bought a four-volume edition of “Don Quixote” from a Philadelphia bookseller to bring home to Mount Vernon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Benjamin Franklin, when asked what kind of government had been delivered to the new republic after the 1787 Constitutional Convention, offered a timeless warning: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

More than a century ago, the historian Charles Beard told the story of a Constitutional Convention dominated by an “elite” group determined to protect its property and economic standing.

From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025

“We are excited to bring this original musical about the Constitutional Convention of 1787 back to our community.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Indeed, had not Madison been the most ardent advocate at the Constitutional Convention for a clear assertion of federal sovereignty?

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