amendment
Americannoun
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an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.
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a change made by correction, addition, or deletion.
The editors made few amendments to the manuscript.
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Horticulture. a soil-conditioning substance that promotes plant growth indirectly by improving such soil qualities as porosity, moisture retention, and pH balance.
noun
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the act of amending; correction
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an addition, alteration, or improvement to a motion, document, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of amendment
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Old French word amendement. See amend, -ment
Explanation
An amendment is a change made to an original, usually a document or statement. You might propose an amendment to your environmental club's bylaws requiring that all official club documents be printed on recycled paper. Can you spot the word amend, meaning "to make better" or "to cure of faults and errors," hidden in amendment? If so, you'll grasp the notion that an amendment is something intended to improve whatever preceded it. It pops up most often in formal legal contexts, where it refers to a written change to a bill, law, contract, or the U.S. Constitution.
Vocabulary lists containing amendment
U.S. Government Lingo
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American History I
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13th Amendment (1865)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Under the First Amendment, any private citizen is, of course, generally free to express their opinions,” the lawyers wrote, but “members of the judiciary are held to a higher standard.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
He mentioned exercising his 2nd Amendment rights to defend himself against the threats, according to the complaint.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
What will change is that Americans will no longer be coerced into sacrificing their First Amendment rights.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Last month, Cecillia Wang, the head of the ACLU, asked the Supreme Court to preserve birthright citizenship, a pillar of the 14th Amendment.
From Slate • May 26, 2026
Tonight was the vote on Amendment S in Ravenskill, and if Seven’s theory was correct, there would be another string of cuco attacks—making this the perfect time for the Witchlings to strike.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
