constitution
- the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.
- the document embodying these principles.
- (initial capital letter) Constitution of the United States.
- the way in which a thing is composed or made up; makeup; composition: the chemical constitution of the cleanser.
- the physical character of the body as to strength, health, etc.: He has a strong constitution.
- Medicine/Medical, Psychology. the aggregate of a person's physical and psychological characteristics.
- the act or process of constituting; establishment.
- the state of being constituted; formation.
- any established arrangement or custom.
- Archaic. character or condition of mind; disposition; temperament.
Origin of constitution
Constitution, The
- an American 44-gun frigate, famous for its exploits in the War of 1812 and popularly called “Old Ironsides.”
Related Words
structurenaturechartercodelegislationcustomformhabitcharacterframetemperamentphysiquehabitusvitalitytempercontentconstructionformationarchitecturedispositionExamples from the Web for constitution
Contemporary Examples
Judge Hinkle said “the Constitution requires the Clerk to issue such licenses.”
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally OverJay Michaelson
January 5, 2015
Can they determine that individual citizens should not have access to rights provided by the Constitution?
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally OverJay Michaelson
January 5, 2015
When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”
He refused to sign the Constitution, for good reasons and bad.
One African American woman brandished a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution while marching.
Sharpton Recalls Civil Rights Struggle in DC March Against Police ViolenceBen Jacobs
December 13, 2014
Historical Examples
Her old man's constitution was never robust, and this was too much.
The Constitution is neither a legislative crazy-quilt nor a receptacle of fads.
'Tis Sixty Years SinceCharles Francis Adams
To attempt it finds no support in the principles of our Constitution.
It is a right to be exercised in subordination to the Constitution and in conformity to it.
He was the only President to use the choice offered by the Constitution.
constitution
- the act of constituting or state of being constituted
- the way in which a thing is composed; physical make-up; structure
- the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed, esp when considered as embodying the rights of the subjects of that state
- (often capital) (in certain countries, esp Australia and the US) a statute embodying such principles
- a person's state of health
- a person's disposition of mind; temperament
Word Origin and History for constitution
n.
mid-14c., "law, regulation, edict," from Old French constitucion (12c.) "constitution, establishment," and directly from Latin constitutionem (nominative constitutio) "act of settling, settled condition, anything arranged or settled upon, regulation, order, ordinance," from constitut-, past participle stem of constituere (see constitute).
Meaning "action of establishing" is from 1580s; that of "way in which a thing is constituted" is from c.1600; that of "physical health, strength and vigor of the body" is from 1550s; of the mind, "temperament, character" from 1580s. Sense of "mode of organization of a state" is from c.1600; that of "system of principles by which a community is governed" dates from 1730s; especially of a document of written laws since the U.S. and French constitutions, late 18c.
constitution
(kŏn′stĭ-tōō′shən)- The physical makeup of the body, including its functions, metabolic processes, reactions to stimuli, and resistance to the attack of pathogenic organisms.
- The composition or structure of a molecule.
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.)
constitution
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.