constitution


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to constitution: Bill of Rights

con·sti·tu·tion

(kŏn′stĭ-to͞o′shən, -tyo͞o′-)
n.
1. The act or process of composing, setting up, or establishing.
2.
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.
3.
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)
n
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]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:constitution - law determining the fundamental political principles of a government]constitution - law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
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"
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. [画像:constitution - the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states]Constitution - the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the original thirteen states
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
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. [画像:constitution - a United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first three naval ships built by the United States]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
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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:
2. The physical or constitutional characteristics of a person:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَكْوين، بُنْيَهدُسْتُور دُستور، قَوانين
ústavatělesná konstituce
forfatninggrundlovhelbred
perustuslakirakenneyleiskuntokokoaminenkoostumus
constitution constitution d’une entité moléculaire
ustav
alkotmány
líkamshreystistjórnarskrá
憲法構成編成
헌법
ústava
ustava
ustav
grundlag
รัฐธรรมนูญ
anayasa beden yapısıbünye yasalar
hiến pháp

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

[ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃən] n
[country, organization] → constitution f
[person] → constitution f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

constitution

n
(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
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

constitute

(ˈkonstitjuːt) verb
to form; to make up; to be. Nuclear waste constitutes a serious danger. vorm, uitmaak, saamstel; geld as يُكَوِّن، يُشَكِّل представлявам constituir představovat; tvořit; ustavit bilden udgøre αποτελώ constituir moodustama, kujutama بوجود آوردن؛ بودن muodostaa constituer לְכוֹנֵן बनाना, स्थापित करना imenovati, postaviti za képez merupakan gera, mynda costituire 構成する 구성하다 sudaryti, kelti, būti izveidot; radīt; sastādīt mengakibatkan vormen sette sammen, utgjøre, betegne stanowić مقررول (په وظيفه)، ټاكل: قانون جوړول: جوړول: تر كيپول: تاسيسول، تشكيلول constituir a constitui составлять tvoriť predstavljati predstavljati utgöra, bilda, bestå i ก่อตั้ง oluşturmak 構成 утворювати; складати تشكيل دينا، بنانا tạo thành 构成
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. grondwet, konstitusie دُستور، قَوانين Конституция constituição ústava die Verfassung grundlov σύνταγμα constitución põhikiri, põhiseadus قانون اساسی perustuslaki constitution חוקה संविधान uređenje, ustrojstvo, ustav alkotmány konstitusi stjórnarskrá costituzione 憲法 헌법 konstitucija konstitūcija perlembagaan grondwet grunnlov, statsforvaltning, vedtekter konstytucja اساسى قانون: جحسمى قوت، طبيعى جوړښت، مزاج: ځان يابدن constituição constituţie конституция ústava ustava ustav författning, konstitution, grundlag รัฐธรรมนูญ anayasa 憲法 конституція, основний закон آئين، دستور hiến pháp 宪法
2. physical characteristics, health etc. He has a strong constitution. gesteldheid تَكْوين، بُنْيَه организъм constituição tělesná konstituce die Natur helbred κράση constitución kehaehitus بنیه؛ سرشت terveydentila constitution מִבְנֵה גוּף गठन, बनावट, संरचना struktura, tjelesni ustroj szervezet kondisi líkamshreysti costituzione 体質 체격, 체질 kūno sudėjimas ķermeņa uzbūve; konstitūcija resam tubuh gestel konstitusjon, helsetilstand, helbred budowa خاصيت، طبيعت: بېلوونكې نخښه constituição constituţie телосложение konštitúcia telesna zgradba, ustroj konstitucija [kropps]konstitution, fysik สุขภาพร่างกาย beden yapısı, bünye 體質 конституція, будова тіла صحت، جسمانى حالت thể chất 体质
ˌconstiˈtutional adjective
legal according to a given constitution. The proposed change would not be constitutional. grondwetlik, konstitusioneel دُستوري، مُتَعَلِّق بِتَركيب الجِسم конституционен constitucional ústavní verfassungsgemäß konstitutionel; grundlovs- συνταγματικός constitucional põhiseaduslik وابسته به قانون اساسی perustuslaillinen constitutionnel חוּקָתִי संवैधानिक konstitucionalan alkotmányos konstitusional samkvæmur stjórnarskrá costituzionale 合憲の 헌법의 konstitucinis konstitucionāls perlembagaan constitutioneel grunnlovsmessig, forfatningsmessig, i pakt med grunnloven konstytucyjny پراساسى قانون. constitucional constituţional конституционный ústavný ustaven, v skladu z ustavo ustavan konstitutionell, författningsenlig เป็นไปตามรัฐธรรมนูญ anayasal 合乎憲法的 конституційний قانونى، آئينى thuộc về hiến pháp 符合宪法的
ˌconstiˈtutionally adverb
grondwetlik, konstitusioneel دُسْتورياً конституционно constitucionalmente ústavně verfassungsgemäß konstitutionelt συνταγματικά constitucionalmente põhiseaduslikult از نظر قانون اساسی perustuslaillisesti constitutionnellement מִבְּחִינָה חוּקָתִית संवैधानिक रूप से konstitucionalan alkotmányosan; alkatánál fogva secara konstitusional stjórnlagalega costituzionalmente 憲法上 입헌적으로 pagal konstituciją konstitucionāli berperlembagaan constitutioneel konstitusjonelt konstytucyjnie د اساسی قانون له نظړه constitucionalmente (în mod) con­sti­tu­ţional законно ústavne ustavno ustavnost konstitutionellt, författningsenligt อย่างเป็นไปตามรัฐธรรมนูญ anayasaya uygun şekilde 依照憲法,在體質上 конституційно آئينى طور پر، آئين ك‍ے لحاظ س‍ے một cách hợp hiến 按宪法,在体质上
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

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
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

con·sti·tu·tion

n. constitución, fortaleza.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

constitution

n constitución f, complexión f
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Dictionary browser ?
Full browser ?