con·sti·tu·tion

(kŏn′stĭ-to͞o′shən, -tyo͞o′-)

1. The act or process of composing, setting up, or establishing.

a. The composition or structure of something; makeup.

b. The physical makeup of a person: Having a strong constitution, she had no trouble climbing the mountain.

a. The system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of a government or another institution.

b. The document in which such a system is recorded.

c. Constitution The supreme law of the United States, consisting of the document ratified by the original thirteen states (1787-1790) and subsequent amendments.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

constitution

(ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən)

1. the act of constituting or state of being constituted

2. the way in which a thing is composed; physical make-up; structure

3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the fundamental political principles on which a state is governed, esp when considered as embodying the rights of the subjects of that state

4. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (often capital) (in certain countries, esp Australia and the US) a statute embodying such principles

5. a person's state of health

6. a person's disposition of mind; temperament

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•sti•tu•tion

(ˌkɒn stɪˈtu ʃən, -ˈtyu-)

n.

1. the way in which a thing is composed or made up; makeup; composition.

2. the physical character of the body as to strength, health, etc.: a strong constitution.

3. the aggregate of a person's physical and psychological characteristics.

4. the act or process of constituting; establishment.

5. the state of being constituted; formation.

6. any established arrangement or custom.

7. (cap.) the fundamental or organic law of the U.S., framed in 1787 and put into effect in 1789.

8. the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.

9. the document embodying these principles.

10. Archaic. disposition; temperament.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin]

constitute, constitution - Constitute can mean "make laws" and a constitution is a "how-to" document for a government or organization.

See also related terms for laws.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	constitution - law determining the fundamental political principles of a government fundamental law, organic law law - legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity; "there is a law against kidnapping" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
	2.	constitution - the act of forming or establishing something; "the constitution of a PTA group last year"; "it was the establishment of his reputation"; "he still remembers the organization of the club" establishment, formation, organisation, organization commencement, start, beginning - the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations" unionisation, unionization - act of forming labor unions; "the issue underlying the strike was unionization" collectivisation, collectivization - the organization of a nation or economy on the basis of collectivism communisation, communization - the organization of a nation of the basis of communism federation - the act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairs colonisation, colonization, settlement - the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies; "the British colonization of America"
	3.	Constitution - the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution, United States Constitution, US Constitution advice and consent - a legal expression in the United States Constitution that allows the Senate to constrain the President's powers of appointment and treaty-making Bill of Rights - a statement of fundamental rights and privileges (especially the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution) Fourteenth Amendment - an amendment to the Constitution of the United States adopted in 1868; extends the guarantees of the Bill of Rights to the states as well as to the federal government Eighteenth Amendment - an amendment to the Constitution of the United States adopted in 1920; prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages; repealed in 1932 Nineteenth Amendment - an amendment to the Constitution of the United States adopted in 1920; guarantees that no state can deny the right to vote on the basis of sex law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
	4.	constitution - the way in which someone or something is composed physical composition, make-up, composition, makeup property - a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class; "a study of the physical properties of atomic particles" structure - the manner of construction of something and the arrangement of its parts; "artists must study the structure of the human body"; "the structure of the benzene molecule" phenotype - what an organism looks like as a consequence of the interaction of its genotype and the environment genetic constitution, genotype - the particular alleles at specified loci present in an organism texture, grain - the physical composition of something (especially with respect to the size and shape of the small constituents of a substance); "breadfruit has the same texture as bread"; "sand of a fine grain"; "fish with a delicate flavor and texture"; "a stone of coarse grain" karyotype - the appearance of the chromosomal makeup of a somatic cell in an individual or species (including the number and arrangement and size and structure of the chromosomes)
	5.	Constitution - a United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first three naval ships built by the United States; it won brilliant victories over British frigates during the War of 1812 and is without doubt the most famous ship in the history of the United States Navy; it has been rebuilt and is anchored in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Old Ironsides

constitution

noun

1. laws, code, charter, canon, body of law The king was forced to adopt a new constitution which reduced his powers.

2. state of health, build, body, make-up, frame, physique, physical condition He must have an extremely strong constitution.

3. structure, form, nature, make-up, organization, establishment, formation, composition, character, temper, temperament, disposition He ran a small research team looking into the chemical constitution of coal.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

constitution

noun

1. The act of founding or establishing:

creation, establishment, foundation, institution, organization, origination, start-up.

2. The physical or constitutional characteristics of a person:

build, habit, habitus, physique.

Translations

تَكْوين، بُنْيَهدُسْتُوردُستور، قَوانين

ústavatělesná konstituce

forfatninggrundlovhelbred

Verfassung Grundgesetz Konstitution Natur Verfassen

σύνταγμα σύσταση

constitución carta magna complexión

perustuslakirakenneyleiskuntokokoaminenkoostumus

constitutionconstitution d’une entité moléculaire

הרכב

ustav

alkotmány

líkamshreystistjórnarskrá

costituzione

憲法構成編成

헌법

grondwet

grunnlov helbred helsetilstand konstitusjon statsforvaltning

konstytucja

constituição

конституция склад

ústava

ustava

ustav

grundlag

รัฐธรรมนูญ

anayasabeden yapısıbünye yasalar

hiến pháp

宪法体质

constitution

[ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən] N

1. (Pol) → constitución f

2. (= health) → constitución f

CONSTITUTION

El Reino Unido no tiene una constitución escrita. La Constitución británica está compuesta por el derecho legislado en el Parlamento (statute law) y por el derecho consuetudinario (common law), además de aquellas normas y prácticas necesarias para el funcionamiento del gobierno. Las leyes constitucionales pueden ser modificadas o derogadas por el Parlamento como cualquier otra ley.

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

constitution

[ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃ^ən] n

[country, organization] → constitution f

[person] → constitution f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

constitution

(Pol) → Verfassung f; (of club etc) → Satzung f

(of person) → Konstitution f, → Gesundheit f; to have a strong/weak constitution → eine starke/schwache Konstitution haben

(= way sth is made) → Aufbau m; (= what sth is made of) → Zusammensetzung f

(= setting up: of committee etc) → Einrichtung f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

constitution

[ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃ/ən] n → costituzione f

constitute

(ˈkonstitjuːt) verb

to form; to make up; to be. Nuclear waste constitutes a serious danger.

ˌconstiˈtution noun

1. a set of rules governing an organization; the supreme laws and rights of a country's people etc. the constitution of the country.

2. physical characteristics, health etc. He has a strong constitution.

ˌconstiˈtutional adjective

legal according to a given constitution. The proposed change would not be constitutional.

ˌconstiˈtutionally adverb

constitution

→ دُسْتُور ústava forfatning Verfassung σύνταγμα constitución perustuslaki constitution ustav costituzione 憲法 헌법 grondwet grunnlov konstytucja constituição конституция grundlag รัฐธรรมนูญ yasalar hiến pháp 宪法

con·sti·tu·tion

n. constitución, fortaleza.

constitution

n constitución f, complexión f

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Fellow citizens of the United States: in compliance with a custom as old as the government itself, I appear before you to address you briefly and to take, in your presence, the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States, to be taken by the President "before he enters on the execution of his office."

I add, too, that all the protection which, consistently with the Constitution and the laws, can be given, will be cheerfully given to all the States when lawfully demanded, for whatever cause-- as cheerfully to one section as to another.

View in context

The desire of society for the statesman's advice is taken for granted, Plato in the Republic says that a good constitution is only possible when the ruler does not want to rule; where men contend for power, where they have not learnt to distinguish between the art of getting hold of the helm of state and the art of steering, which alone is statesmanship, true politics is impossible.

Further, the belief that the constitution of a state is only the outward expression of the common aspirations and beliefs of its members, explains the paramount political importance which Aristotle assigns to education.

View in context

Consequently, the creepers were a part of the constitution of the summer-house.

The constitution of the summer-house had lasted until the spring of the year eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, when the unhallowed footsteps of innovation passed that way; and the venerable privileges of the Owls were assailed, for the first time, from the world outside.

View in context

AFTER an unequivocal experience of the inefficacy of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America.

Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter may readily be distinguished the obvious interest of a certain class of men in every State to resist all changes which may hazard a diminution of the power, emolument, and consequence of the offices they hold under the State establishments; and the perverted ambition of another class of men, who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions of their country, or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies than from its union under one government.

View in context

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

View in context

And Solon, according to Plutarch, was in a manner compelled, by the universal suffrage of his fellow-citizens, to take upon him the sole and absolute power of new-modeling the constitution. The proceedings under Lycurgus were less regular; but as far as the advocates for a regular reform could prevail, they all turned their eyes towards the single efforts of that celebrated patriot and sage, instead of seeking to bring about a revolution by the intervention of a deliberative body of citizens.

The physicians attend; the case of the patient is carefully examined; a consultation is held; they are unanimously agreed that the symptoms are critical, but that the case, with proper and timely relief, is so far from being desperate, that it may be made to issue in an improvement of his constitution. They are equally unanimous in prescribing the remedy, by which this happy effect is to be produced.

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