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• 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.)

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.

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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

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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.)

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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.

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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

The constitution limits the president from unilaterally interfering with local laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Twenty-seven laws have been passed, and two amendments to the constitution.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

And under the state constitution, only the governor has the power to issue pardons.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Japan's constitution renounces offensive military force, and successive governments have maintained a decades-old pledge not to possess nuclear weapons, produce them or permit their introduction into the country.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

By that point Lady Constance was in a foul mood; the lack of correspondence seemed to be taking a dreadful toll on her already delicate constitution.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Before going inside, Duffy pauses to hype up his brood by sharing that none other than Ken Griffin bought one of the original copies of the Constitution to put on public display.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

For her part, Korte wrote on X: "It's a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press."

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Constitution and federal law say new buildings may not be erected on public property in the District of Columbia “without the express authority of Congress.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

But the Constitution subjects race or ancestry quotas to an extraordinarily high level of judicial scrutiny.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

While the disposal is running, I try to detour my mind—recite the Constitution, list the presidents in order, remember the names of the seven dwarfs—I can’t stop thinking that she called me.

From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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

States have a “wide degree of discretion” to design their tax systems — including how they define income — so long as they do not violate their constitutions, Jurow Kleiman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

It was far more prominent in the discussions in the Constitutional Convention and in early state constitutions than the freedom of speech.

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

In his own memoirs he had selected May 15, 1776, as the most decisive moment, because that was the day the Continental Congress passed a resolution calling for new constitutions in each of the states.

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

Related Words

• charter
• code
• custom
• legislation