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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.)

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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

At the same time, the strictures imposed on the BND by Germany’s post-World War II constitution began to tighten under pressure from Parliament and the courts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

In 2024, the city of Los Angeles formed a commission to find ways to improve services and amend its charter, which essentially serves as the city’s constitution.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Under Morocco's constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in elections to the House of Representatives.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

South Korea—whose constitution treats North Koreans as citizens—has argued it should receive the pair of POWs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

It explains my infrequent trips to the restroom and unusual constitution.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

“So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country” is a collection of essays adapted from speeches he has given since 2007, many with straightforward titles, including “Let Judges Be Judges.”

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026

The Boulder attorney replied, “the question here is not whether anything in the Constitution prohibits this lawsuit.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Shanmugam characterized Boulder’s case as “unprecedented,” and argued that the Constitution does not permit individual localities to “use state law to regulate global conduct.”

From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026

Neither the Constitution nor the Clean Air Act provides such a shield, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

It set the precedents, established in palpable fact what the Constitution had only outlined in purposely ambiguous theory, thereby opening up and closing off options for all the history that followed.

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

While France and the U.S. invoked the Enlightenment in their founding principles and constitutions, Germany built its postwar institutions on the memory of the Shoah.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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

It added that "rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but... through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components" of society.

From Barron's ● 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