constitution
/ˌkɒn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃ(ə)n/
constitution means the supreme law of some countries, such as Australia, Ireland, and the United States. It carries an Arena rating of 1408, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, constitution ranks #197 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #5,631 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #7,078 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #7,385 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
constitution is pronounced /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃ(ə)n/.
Why “constitution” is a great word
The fundamental law that establishes the framework of government, distributes power, and guarantees rights, or the inherent physical and mental character of an organism. From Middle English constitucioun, from Old French constitucion, from Latin cōnstitūtiō, cōnstitūtiōnem ("arrangement, order, regulation"), from cōnstituō ("to set up, establish"). Unlike a "charter," which is a specific grant from an authority, or "temperament," which is but one facet of disposition, a constitution is the comprehensive and foundational order—of a state or a self. It is the bedrock parchment under glass in a hushed rotunda; it is the iron in the blood that allows one to labor through fever; it is the unseen lattice of principle upon which the noisy, contingent world must, in crisis, be measured. Ultimately, it is the body’s own founding document, written not in ink but in bone, breath, and blood.
Etymology
From Middle English constitucioun, constitucion (“edict, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, statute; body of laws or rules, or customs; body of fundamental principles; principle or rule (of science); creation”) from Old French constitucion (modern French constitution), a learned borrowing from Latin cōnstitūtiō, cōnstitūtiōnem (“character, constitution, disposition, nature; definition; point in dispute; order, regulation; arrangement, system”), from cōnstituō (“to establish, set up; to confirm; to decide, resolve”). Equivalent to constitute + -ion.
name
- The supreme law of some countries, such as Australia, Ireland, and the United States.e.g.“The Constitution is anchored in English liberal thought and the Magna Carta.”
noun
- The act, or process of setting something up, or establishing something; the composition or structure of such a thing; its makeup.e.g.“the physical constitution of the sun” — 1876, John Herschel, Outlines of Astronomy:
- The formal or informal system of primary principles and laws that regulates a government or other institutions.
- A legal document describing such a formal system.
- A document issued by a religious authority serving to promulgate some particular church laws or doctrines.
- A person's physical makeup or temperament, especially in respect of robustness.e.g.“He has a strong constitution, so he should make a quick recovery from the illness.”
- The general health of a person.e.g.“But when once his constitution began to decline, he broke very fast, and being attacked bya complication of diseases, he at length gave way to fate, May 10, 1733.” — 1766 May, “The Life of Mr. Barton Booth”, in The Gentleman's and London Magazine: Or Monthly Chronologer, page 281:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.