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.
Besjana Guri, the founder of environmental NGO Lumi, said demonstrators were also calling for the suspension of an amendment that allowed "massive construction" inside nature reserves such as Zvernec.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
"The change that I was hoping to see through the amendment would have repealed that legal defence. It would not have created a new criminal offence and that's really important."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Michelle Guy of the Alliance Party proposed an amendment abolishing the defence of "reasonable punishment", which is available to parents and caregivers in some circumstances.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
The amendment failed after Cassidy voted against it.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
In a movement known as the New Departure, some women’s rights advocates interpreted the new amendment in a way that actually allowed female suffrage.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
