constitution
B2Formal, Academic, Legal, Everyday (when referring to health).
Definition
Meaning
The fundamental principles, laws, or established precedents that govern how a state or other organization is authorized to be constituted and governed.
1. The composition or makeup of something (e.g., the chemical constitution of a substance). 2. A person's physical or mental makeup, especially in terms of health and vitality (e.g., a robust constitution).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Capitalized ('Constitution') when referring to a specific national document (e.g., the US Constitution). The 'physical makeup' sense is often used with adjectives like 'strong', 'weak', 'frail', or 'iron'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The US places supreme legal and cultural emphasis on its written Constitution as a singular founding document. The UK has an 'uncodified constitution' consisting of statutes, conventions, and case law, making the term more abstract and less likely to be capitalized in everyday use.
Connotations
In US context, evokes strong patriotic sentiment, foundational law, and rights. In UK, often a more academic/legal term for the system of government.
Frequency
Higher frequency in US media and political discourse due to its central role in law and politics.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Verb] + the constitution (amend/violate/ratify)[Adjective] + constitution (physical/legal/written)constitution + [of + NP] (constitution of the United States/body)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Of strong/weak constitution”
- “Unconstitutional (adj. form in common use)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; may appear in 'articles of constitution' for a company or in discussions of regulatory frameworks.
Academic
Central in Political Science, Law, and History. Discussed as a document, concept, and system.
Everyday
Common in news/politics. Also used informally to describe a person's health ('He has a strong constitution').
Technical
In Law: the supreme law of the land. In Chemistry/Physics: the qualitative and quantitative makeup of a substance.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee will constitute a new panel next quarter.
- These actions constitute a breach of contract.
American English
- The board will constitute a task force to review the policy.
- Does this constitute an official warning?
adverb
British English
- The policy is constitutionally sound.
- She is constitutionally incapable of lying.
American English
- The amendment is constitutionally protected.
- He is constitutionally opposed to any form of taxation.
adjective
British English
- They took a constitutional walk every morning.
- The court ruled the law was constitutional.
American English
- He went for his afternoon constitutional around the block.
- The President's executive order was deemed constitutional.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Every country has a constitution.
- My grandfather has a strong constitution.
- The constitution guarantees freedom of speech.
- We studied the US Constitution in history class.
- Parliament voted to amend the constitution last year.
- The court's decision was based on a constitutional principle.
- The proposed reform would require a constitutional amendment ratified by three-fourths of the states.
- Her research focuses on the metaphysical constitution of social reality.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'CONSTITUTE' (to form or establish) + '-TION' (the act of). A constitution is 'the act of constituting' a state's rules.
Conceptual Metaphor
The constitution is the FOUNDATION/BLUEPRINT of a nation; the nation is a BUILDING (built on constitutional principles).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Russian 'конституция' is a direct cognate, but Russian speakers might overcapitalize it in English or use 'the' incorrectly (e.g., 'according to Constitution').
- The health/physical sense ('телосложение/склад организма') is less intuitive for Russian speakers.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'constituation' or 'constiution'.
- Using 'constitutional' (adj.) when 'constitution' (n.) is needed.
- Omitting 'the' before 'constitution' when referring to a specific one (e.g., 'Amend the constitution').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'constitution' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is only capitalized when it forms part of a proper noun (e.g., the United States Constitution, the Indian Constitution). When used generically ('a written constitution'), it is lowercased.
'Constitution' is a noun referring to the document or principles. 'Constitutional' is primarily an adjective meaning 'related to or in accordance with a constitution' (e.g., constitutional law). It can also be a noun meaning 'a walk taken for one's health' (old-fashioned).
Yes, though it's more commonly called 'articles of association' or 'corporate charter' in business law. These documents serve a similar foundational role for the company as a national constitution does for a country.
The UK's constitution is not contained in a single, codified document. Instead, it is derived from a combination of statutes (e.g., Magna Carta), court judgments, conventions, and historical treaties, making it 'uncodified' rather than literally unwritten.
Collections
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