Constitutional Convention

American  

noun

1. the convention in Philadelphia (1787) of representatives from each of the former Colonies, except Rhode Island, at which the Constitution of the United States was framed.

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Constitutional Convention Cultural  

1. The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787; all states were invited to send delegates. The convention, meeting in Philadelphia, designed a government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It established Congress as a lawmaking body with two houses: each state is given two representatives in the Senate, whereas representation in the House of Representatives is based on population.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Constitutional Convention

At the Constitutional Convention, he explained, one of the Framers tried to put a semicolon into the spending clause.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

It was far more prominent in the discussions in the Constitutional Convention and in early state constitutions than the freedom of speech.

From Slate ● Feb. 24, 2026

When the Constitutional Convention concluded on Sept. 17, 1787, its president, George Washington, bought a four-volume edition of “Don Quixote” from a Philadelphia bookseller to bring home to Mount Vernon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

More than a century ago, the historian Charles Beard told the story of a Constitutional Convention dominated by an “elite” group determined to protect its property and economic standing.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025

America’s largest city, Philadelphia had gained greater prestige with the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis