unconstitutional

[uhn-kon-sti-too-shuh-nl, -tyoo-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unconstitutional ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

not constitutional; unauthorized by or inconsistent with the constitution, as of a country.

Nearby words

Origin of unconstitutional

First recorded in 1735–45; un-¹ + constitutional

Related formsun·con·sti·tu·tion·al·ism, nounun·con·sti·tu·tion·al·i·ty, nounun·con·sti·tu·tion·al·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for unconstitutional

The legal question is whether this constitutes an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to a private entity.
The Supreme Court Is Weighing Corporate Power Yet Again|Zephyr Teachout|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First, laws that treat people differently from one another without a rational justification are unconstitutional.
Justice Kennedy Opened the Door to Same-Sex Marriage, Will He Walk Through Next?|Geoffrey R. Stone|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While the Court did not invalidate Section 5, it did rule Section 4(b) unconstitutional.
Eric Cantor’s Last, Legacy-Burnishing Task: Update the VRA|Ron Christie|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These, he explained, are hallmarks of unconstitutional governmental action.
Even Conservative Judges Can’t Deny the Constitutional Logic of Same-Sex Marriage|Margo Schlanger|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To the casual observer, the practice seems patently, almost absurdly, unconstitutional.
Religious Schools Take Kentucky Taxpayers on an $18 Million Ride|Jonathan Miller|May 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even the ship-money Johnson would not pronounce to have been an unconstitutional impost.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various
The intolerable acts were described as "impolitic, unjust, and cruel, as well as unconstitutional."
The Colonization of North America|Herbert Eugene Bolton
Mr. Wirt, the Attorney-General, gave the opinion that the law was unconstitutional.
An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans|Lydia Maria Child
It may, however, be doubted whether the epithet "unconstitutional" could be properly applied to the bill on either ground.
The Constitutional History of England From 1760 to 1860|Charles Duke Yonge
Whilst on this subject I will declare that I never did consider the sedition law as unconstitutional.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for unconstitutional

unconstitutional

adjective

at variance with or not permitted by a constitution

Derived Formsunconstitutionality, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unconstitutional

unconstitutional

adj.

1734, from un- (1) "not" + constitutional.

unconstitutional

adjective

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Origin of unconstitutional

Examples from the Web for unconstitutional

unconstitutional

adjective

unconstitutional