unwritten constitution

American  

noun

1. a constitution, as in Great Britain, not codified as a document but defined by custom and precedent as embodied in statutes and judicial decisions.

---

Etymology

Origin of unwritten constitution

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

But Blick says Britain’s unwritten constitution means that checks and balances are easier to override than in some other democracies.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2023

While Britain has an unwritten constitution, meaning much of it can be subject to interpretation, the Scotland Act lays out the relationship between the Scottish assembly and the UK parliament.

From Reuters • Oct. 11, 2022

The queen-in-training took lessons on Britain’s unwritten constitution from a tutor hired from Eton, the country’s most exclusive boys’ school, and learned to speak French, play the piano and sing.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2022

Britain has an unwritten constitution, and therefore while there is guidance in documents such as the Cabinet Manual -- it is not always explicitly set out what must happen in extreme circumstances.

From Fox News • Apr. 7, 2020

Thus in the United Kingdom we have an unwritten constitution.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton