constitutional
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the constitution of a state, organization, etc.
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subject to the provisions of such a constitution.
a constitutional monarchy.
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provided by, in accordance with, or not prohibited by, such a constitution.
the constitutional powers of the president; a law held to be constitutional by the Supreme Court.
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belonging to or inherent in the character or makeup of a person's body or mind.
a constitutional weakness for sweets.
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pertaining to the constitution or composition of a thing; essential.
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beneficial to one's constitution; healthful.
constitutional exercise.
noun
adjective
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denoting, characteristic of, or relating to a constitution
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authorized by or subject to a constitution
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of or inherent in the physical make-up or basic nature of a person or thing
a constitutional weakness
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beneficial to one's general physical wellbeing
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anticonstitutionaladjective
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hyperconstitutionaladjective
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nonconstitutionaladjective
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proconstitutionaladjective
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quasi-constitutionaladjective
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superconstitutionaladjective
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anticonstitutionallyadverb
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constitutionallyadverb
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hyperconstitutionallyadverb
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quasi-constitutionallyadverb
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superconstitutionallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of constitutional
First recorded in 1675–85; constitution + -al 1
Explanation
Constitutional means having to do with the document that is the foundation of a government — in the US, a constitutional right is one provided to you by the US Constitution. If you break down constitutional, you’ll find the root word constitute, meaning "to make up or form." Constitution can refer to the document that forms (or organizes) the government. It can also refer to the structure of a thing, such as a species, or a person. If you go for a "constitutional walk" — in that sense, the word means having to do with your constitution or your health.
Vocabulary lists containing constitutional
Civics I
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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Florida EOC Civics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Peru's constitutional court has overturned a 15-year jail sentence handed to the country's former president after he was found guilty of corruption.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The state Supreme Court this spring blocked the initiative on the dubious rationale that it ran afoul of a constitutional requirement that initiatives must be limited to a single subject.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Tunick's attorneys are arguing that his constitutional rights were violated, including his Fourth Amendment protection from warrantless search and seizure.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
They were simply reading the plain and obvious meaning of constitutional texts and insisting that it applied to them and their kids.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
And his conduct in providing clandestine instructions to Adams’s cabinet undermined the constitutional authority of the executive branch in ways that would have landed him in jail in modern times.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
White would come and walk alongside Gita on many of those constitutionals.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 17, 2022
He talks us through his constitutionals and reveals what he found in pictures.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2021
Thinking of the geologist Brit Fredheim, and her evening constitutionals around the rig, I set off to walk Winner’s circumference.
From The Guardian ● May 2, 2017
Harry’s wee-hours constitutionals, particularly those undertaken in the drinking quarter where State and Rush streets converge, have become the occasion for impromptu civic celebrations.”
From New York Times ● May 15, 2010
He often took constitutionals with his dog, Spiro, an old gray-and- white shepherd mix that limped devotedly behind him on stiff arthritic hips.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
