constitution

[kon-sti-too-shuh n, -tyoo-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR constitution ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

1350–1400; Middle English constitucion edict, ordinance < Anglo-French < Latin constitūtiōn- (stem of constitūtiō). See constitute, -ion

Related formsan·ti·con·sti·tu·tion, adjective

Constitution, The

noun

an American 44-gun frigate, famous for its exploits in the War of 1812 and popularly called “Old Ironsides.”

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

Related Words for constitution

structure, nature, charter, code, legislation, custom, form, habit, character, frame, temperament, physique, habitus, vitality, temper, content, construction, formation, architecture, disposition

Examples from the Web for constitution

Contemporary Examples of constitution

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 Over
Jay 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 Over
Jay Michaelson
January 5, 2015
When our elected representatives assume their respective offices, they take an oath to “protect and defend the Constitution.”
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?
Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe
January 2, 2015
He refused to sign the Constitution, for good reasons and bad.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations
Kevin Bleyer
January 1, 2015
One African American woman brandished a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution while marching.
Sharpton Recalls Civil Rights Struggle in DC March Against Police Violence
Ben Jacobs
December 13, 2014

Historical Examples of constitution

Her old man's constitution was never robust, and this was too much.
Punchinello, Vol. 1. No. 20, August 13, 1870
Various
The Constitution is neither a legislative crazy-quilt nor a receptacle of fads.
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
He was the only President to use the choice offered by the Constitution.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
To attempt it finds no support in the principles of our Constitution.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
It is a right to be exercised in subordination to the Constitution and in conformity to it.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various

British Dictionary definitions for constitution

constitution

noun

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

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 constitution

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 in Medicine

constitution

[kŏn′stĭ-tōō′shən]

n.

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 in Culture

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.