constitutional law

American  

noun

1. the body of law that evolves from a constitution, setting out the fundamental principles according to which a state is governed and defining the relationship between the various branches of government within the state.

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Etymology

Origin of constitutional law

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

There’s no easy answer as to whether Minnesota will be able to get past a supremacy clause defense, said Jill Hasday, a constitutional law professor at the University of Minnesota.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

"It's like, I help you for this case, so you help me. It's like a little parliament where they all act together. It's not normal," says Alessandro Sterpa, a constitutional law professor at Tuscia University.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

A second or successive motion is permitted only if the prisoner can show either newly discovered evidence establishing innocence or a new rule of constitutional law made retroactive by the Supreme Court.

From Slate • Jan. 10, 2026

Mr. Blackman is a professor of constitutional law at the South Texas College of Law Houston and a former editor of the Heritage Guide to the Constitution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

I piled up courses on constitutional law, litigation, appellate procedure, federal courts, and collateral remedies.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson