amendment

American  

[uh-mend-muhnt] / əˈmɛnd mənt /

noun

• amendments
  plural

1. 

   the act of amending or the state of being amended.

2. an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.

3. a change made by correction, addition, or deletion.

   The editors made few amendments to the manuscript.

4. Horticulture. a soil-conditioning substance that promotes plant growth indirectly by improving such soil qualities as porosity, moisture retention, and pH balance.

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amendment British  

/ əˈmɛndmənt /

noun

1. the act of amending; correction

2. an addition, alteration, or improvement to a motion, document, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonamendment
  noun
• reamendment
  noun
• self-amendment
  noun
• proamendment
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• amendments
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of amendment

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Old French word amendement. See amend, -ment

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amendment amendments

Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, said he reads the bill as allowing tenants to install balcony solar and his group may seek an amendment next year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

There is precedent for this; after the 18th Amendment, which banned the sale of alcohol, was ratified, it took another amendment, the 21st, to overturn Prohibition.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

Suk’s scholarship focuses on the processes of constitutional amendment and reform and the feminist constitutional movements.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Congress approved a constitutional amendment Wednesday abolishing Brazil's six-day working week, a flagship Lula campaign promise that will give employees two paid days off without cutting their wages.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

While both organizations advocated for voting rights for women, the National favored a federal amendment, while the American worked to pass women’s voting rights at the state level, state by state.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

The human study protocol, all amendments, and the informed consent form received approval from the Institutional Review Boards at the participating sites.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

“This will leave many of the more vulnerable reliant on extensions, payment-in-kind amendments costly refinancing or sponsor support,” says Moody’s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Voters in more than a dozen states are considering tax-related amendments in November.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

"It does appear that the secretary of state and the Ministry of Defence have listened to some of the concerns and there does seem to be some amendments that are welcomed."

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

But in the end, history is not just about wars and constitutional amendments, facts we memorize.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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Related Words

• act
• bill
• clause
• measure
• modification
• motion
• revision
• suggestion

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