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• constitution
  constitution

  noun

  the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.
• Constitution
  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

American  

[kon-sti-too-shuhn, -tyoo-] / ˌkɒn stɪˈtu ʃən, -ˈtju- /

noun

• constitutions
  plural

1. the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.

2. the document embodying these principles.

3. (initial capital letter) Constitution of the United States.

4. the way in which a thing is composed or made up; makeup; composition.

   the chemical constitution of the cleanser.

5. the physical character of the body as to strength, health, etc..

   He has a strong constitution.

6. Medicine/Medical, Psychology. the aggregate of a person's physical and psychological characteristics.

7. the act or process of constituting; establishment.

8. the state of being constituted; formation.

9. any established arrangement or custom.

10. Archaic. character or condition of mind; disposition; temperament.

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constitution British  

/ ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of constituting or state of being constituted

2. the way in which a thing is composed; physical make-up; structure

3. the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed, esp when considered as embodying the rights of the subjects of that state

4. (often capital) (in certain countries, esp Australia and the US) a statute embodying such principles

5. a person's state of health

6. a person's disposition of mind; temperament

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Constitution ¹ Cultural  

1. 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.)

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constitution ² Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticonstitution
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• constitutions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of constitution

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

constitution Constitution constitutions

Last month, she announced an investigation into whether the US violated international law and the Mexican constitution by whisking Zambada out of the country to face justice.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

Other key changes came under Amendments 16 and 17 of the constitution, limiting the prime minister to two terms in office, and MPs to three.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

And under the state constitution, only the governor has the power to issue pardons.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

What caught my eye as a scholar interested in popular constitutionalism was the way freed people made direct claims on the text of the state constitution.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

After the convention, the leadership presented this declaration, plus a petition with eight thousand signatures supporting women’s suffrage, to the Ohio lawmakers revising the state’s constitution.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Constitution for $43.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in November 2021, loaning it to the center for display this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Our Constitution anticipates that there will be clashes between the branches of our government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

This wasn’t just because a third term is forbidden by the Constitution.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the government to block the project, alleging the waivers violated the Constitution.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

The debates in the ratifying conventions of the respective states only exposed the irreconcilable differences of opinion that the Constitution had so deftly bundled together.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Bold spices could be another way to sharpen the taste, she said, but for the delicate constitutions of GLP-1 users, that’s not a great option either.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

It also runs counter to a long history of immigration in Argentina, which has one of the world's most lenient constitutions in this regard, according to sociologist Ivan Schuliaquer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

States have a “wide degree of discretion” to design their tax systems — including how they define income — so long as they do not violate their constitutions, Jurow Kleiman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

In response to the decree, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and north-east said it was "a first step" but called for "permanent constitutions that express the will of the people", rather than "temporary decrees".

From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2026

Before the Thunderhead, governments had constitutions and massive tomes of laws—yet even then, they were forever debated and challenged and manipulated.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• charter
• code
• custom
• legislation