narrow construction

Cultural  

1. A theory of interpretation of the Constitution that holds that the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, should be bound by the exact words of the Constitution, or by the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, or a combination of both. (Compare broad construction.)

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Example Sentences

Englewood Cliffs Mayor Joseph Parisi said the town changed its height rules for any property of more than 25 acres because LG's building design relies on tall, narrow construction in order to maximize energy efficiency.

From Reuters • Nov. 20, 2013

In his opinion, Marshall inveighed against "the baneful influence of . . . narrow construction on all the operations of the government."

From Time Magazine Archive

Is it not an offensively narrow construction to call chess a game?

From Time Magazine Archive

As the first Secretary of State, Jefferson believed that liberty was jeopardized by concentrated federal power, which he tried to restrict through a narrow construction of the Constitution.

From Time Magazine Archive

The opinion of the Court was focused principally on the privileges and immunities clause, and the narrow construction given it at this time is still the law of the Court.

From The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 30, 1952 by Corwin, Edward Samuel