amendment

[uh-mend-muh nt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR amendment ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of amending or the state of being amended.

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

a change made by correction, addition, or deletion: The editors made few amendments to the manuscript.

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

Origin of amendment

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

Related formsnon·a·mend·ment, nounpro·a·mend·ment, adjectivere·a·mend·ment, nounself-a·mend·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for amendments

modification, remedy, reform, change, revision, clause, bill, act, motion, suggestion, measure, repair, correction, mending, alteration, improvement, reformation, amelioration, enhancement, betterment

Examples from the Web for amendments

Contemporary Examples of amendments

If the first 10 amendments were each put to a vote on nation-wide ballot initiatives, how would they fare?
P.J. O’Rourke: Who Really Actually Wants This Bill of Rights?
P. J. O’Rourke
April 12, 2014
The judge said the right to not be discriminated against under the First and Fourteenth amendments applies to the plaintiffs.
Was Rick Santorum Right About Polygamy After All?
Justin Miller
December 16, 2013
It is expected to pass the Senate this week after amendments are added to expand the exception for religious organizations.
Gay Rights Bill Advances in Senate
Ben Jacobs
November 5, 2013
There is a reason for the order and priority of the amendments.
Pol Pot and Me (and Guns)
Michael Tomasky
May 8, 2013
One of Lee's amendments deals with border security, another with E-Verify, and the third with high-skilled visas.
On Immigration, Praise for the Tea Party
Justin Green
May 8, 2013

Historical Examples of amendments

A full list of amendments and other notes follow the end of the book.
Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome
Apicius
But he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments.
True to His Home
Hezekiah Butterworth
In 1839 he introduced a bill in the House of Assembly embracing these amendments.
Wilmot and Tilley
James Hannay
They rejected the amendments, and demanded a free conference.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.
Thomas Babington Macaulay
A discussion then took place and amendments might be proposed.
The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I.
Sir Leslie Stephen

British Dictionary definitions for amendments

amendment

noun

the act of amending; correction

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for amendments

amendment

early 13c., "betterment, improvement;" c.1300, of persons, "correction, reformation," from Old French amendment, from amender (see amend). Sense expanded to include "correction of error in a legal process" (c.1600) and "alteration of a writ or bill" to remove its faults (1690s).