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.
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
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English constitucion “edict, ordinance,” from Anglo-French, from Latin constitūtiōn-, stem of constitūtiō “an appointing, establishing”; see constitute, -ion
A constitution is a statement of the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or group, such as the U.S. Constitution. Another very common meaning of constitution is the physical makeup of a person. The noun constitution is from Latin, from constitutus, "set up, established," plus the suffix -ion, meaning "act, state, or condition." So think of a constitution as how a body (yours, the government's) is set up. If you have a strong constitution, it means you don't get sick very often.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yes, that amendment was removed from the Cuban constitution in 1940, many years before Castro.
From Salon • May 24, 2026
Thomas argued that voters were more interested in issues like the cost-of-living and the NHS than the constitution, and said reports of independence in the first call with the prime minister were disappointing.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
“The disabled veterans exemption already exists in the constitution, so I don’t think Prop. 13 trumps it because they both exist together.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
So is the story of the Constitutional Convention a few years later, which produced what is now the world’s oldest constitution of a complex sovereign state, amended only 27 times.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
The UDF had been created to coordinate protest against the new apartheid constitution in 1983, and the first elections to the segregated tricameral Parliament in 1984.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
