originalist

American  

[uh-rij-uhn-uhl-ist] / əˈrɪdʒ ən əl ɪst /

noun

1. U.S., Law. a person who supports or is guided by originalism.

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adjective

1. U.S., Law. supporting, arising from, or relating to originalism.

Example Sentences

As the late Justice Antonin Scalia stressed, legislative floor explanations are weak evidence for the core originalist question: How would a contemporary informed reader interpret the words as enacted?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

After originalist scholars reopened the Second Amendment, the court endorsed the individual-rights view in Heller v.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

It left me to wonder if being a baseball traditionalist makes me the equivalent of a Supreme Court Justice originalist, or just old and cranky?

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2025

But in characterizing originalism as a “trap” and situating it historically, Dennie's analysis cuts deeper into the harm caused by originalist doctrine, without sacrificing nuance, rigor or scope.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024

So, call me the 14th Amendment originalist because that’s what I am.

From Slate • May 23, 2024