Legal Definition and Related Resources of Constitution

The established form of government in a state , kingdom or country; a system of fundamental rule, principles and ordinances for the government of a state or nation , either contained in a written document or established by prescriptive usage , which constitutes the form of government fora nation, state, community , association or society ; a doctrine or discipline of the church ( ecclesiastical ). That body of fundamental laws which recognize the basic rights of the citizens and define and govern the distribution or exercise of the sovereign power . For a text of the U.S. Constitution see Appendix 1.

The form of government instituted by the people in their sovereign capacity, in which first principles and fundamental law are established. The supreme, permanent and fixed will of the people in their original, unlimited and sovereign capacity, and in it are determined the condition, rights and duties of every indi-vidual of the community. 1 111. 271. The fundamental law of a free country, which characterizes the organism of the country, and secures the rights of the citizen, and determines his main duties as a freeman. 3 Barb. (N. Y.) 198. The written instrument defining the powers, limitations, and functions of the United States of America. It has been said to be a tripartite instrument, the parties being the state, the people, and the United States. 3 Wis. 96. In Old English Law. A statute.

noun

• act
• body of law
• body of rules of government
• canon
• charter
• civil law
• civitatis
• code of laws
• codification
• codified law
• collection of laws
• compact to govern
• compilation of law
• dictate
• edict
• enactment
• fundamental law
• law
• legal code
• maxim
• organic law
• pandect
• paramount law
• precept
• prescription
• principles of government
• regulation
• rubric
• statute
• supreme law
• written law
• Associated Concepts: action arising under Constitution or laws
• Amendment to the Constitution
• Constitutional Amendment
• Constitutional Convention
• Constitutional court
• Constitutional officer
• Constitutional question
• Constitutional right

Browse or run a search for Constitution in the American Encyclopedia of Law, the Asian Encyclopedia of Law, the European Encyclopedia of Law, the UK Encyclopedia of Law or the Latin American and Spanish Encyclopedia of Law.

Constitution in Historical Law

You might be interested in the historical meaning of this term. Browse or search for Constitution in Historical Law in the Encyclopedia of Law.

Search for legal acronyms and/or abbreviations containing Constitution in the Legal Abbreviations and Acronyms Dictionary.

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Alien, Arraignment, Article, Assembly, Ballot, Bill Of Rights, Citizen, Civil Jury Trial, Civil Rights Amendments, Clarendon, Assize Of, Clear And Present Danger, Commerce, Commerce Clause, Constitutional, Controversy, Copyright, Cruel, Double Jeopardy, Eminent Domain, Equal And Uniform Rule Of Taxation, Equal Protection Of The Laws, Federal Question, Freedom Of Religion, Freedom Of Speech, Illness, Impeachment, Impossibility, Inspection Laws, Judicial Notice, Just Compensation, Justiciability, Loyalty Oath, Mapp Rule, Person, Plain View Doctrine, Plebiscite, Police Power, Pre-emption, Press, Prime Minister, Privilege, Prosecutor, Reasonable Grounds, Removal, Revolution, Right Of Privacy, Search, Self-incrimination, Sovereign Immunity, Suffrage, Symbol, , Territories, Treason.

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Resource	Description
Constitution in the Dictionary	Constitution in our legal dictionaries
Browse the Legal Thesaurus	Find synonyms and related words of Constitution
Legal Maxims	Maxims are established principles that jurists use as interpretive tools, invoked more frequently in international law
Legal Answers (Q&A)	A community-driven knowledge creation process, of enduring value to a broad audience
Related topics	Constitution in the World Encyclopedia of Law

Notice

This definition of Constitution is based on the The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary . This entry needs to be proofread.

Vocabularies (Semantic Web Information)

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Topic Map	A group of names, occurrences and associations
Topic Tree	A topic display format, showing the hierarchy
Sitemap Index	Sitemap Index, including Taxonomies
https://legaldictionary.lawin.org/constitution/	The URI of Constitution (more about URIs)

Constitution in the Dictionary of Law consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases and Maxims

Latin. constituere, to make to stand together, to establish. Originally, an important decree or edict. Later, the laws and usages which gave a government its characteristic features – the organic law. The constitution of England consists of customs, statutes, common laws, and decisions of fundamental importance. American constitutions are enacted; but the meaning of much of them is found in decided cases. Lieber, Eneye, Am., tit. Constitution. The body of rules and maxims in accordance with which the powers of sovereignty are habitually exercised. Cooley, Prine. Const. Law, 22-23. Constitutions guard the rights of personal security, personal liberty, private property, and of religious profession and worship. 1 Kent, 407. Constitutions are instruments of a practical nature, founded on the common business of human life, adapted to common wants, designed for common use, and fitted for common understandings. 1 Story, Const. § 451; 7 Tex. Ap. 210; 24 N.Y 486.

Note: This legal definition of Constitution in the Dictionary of Law (English and American Jurisprudence) is from 1893.

Constitution in Law Enforcement

Main Entry: Law Enforcement in the Legal Dictionary. This section provides, in the context of Law Enforcement, a partial definition of constitution.

Grammar

This term is a noun.

Etimology of Constitution

(You may find constitution at the world legal encyclopedia and the etimology of more terms).

mid-14c., “law, regulation, edict,” from Old French constitucion (12c.) “constitution, establishment,” and directly from Latin constitutionem (nominative constitutio) “act of settling, settled condition, anything arranged or settled upon, regulation, order, ordinance,” from constitut-, past participle stem of constituere (see constitute). Meaning “action of establishing” is from 1580s; that of “way in which a thing is constituted” is from c. 1600; that of “physical health, strength and vigor of the body” is from 1550s; of the mind, “temperament, character” from 1580s. Sense of “mode of organization of a state” is from c. 1600; that of “system of principles by which a community is governed” dates from 1730s; especially of a document of written laws since the U.S. and French constitutions, late 18c.

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Legal English Vocabulary: Constitution in Spanish

Online translation of the English legal term constitution into Spanish: constitución (English to Spanish translation) . More about legal dictionary from english to spanish online.

Related to the Legal Thesaurus

Resources

See Also

• Law Enforcement Officer
• Policeman
• Law Enforcement Agency

Further Reading

• constitution in A Dictionary of Law Enforcement (Oxford University Press)
• constitution in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement
• A Treatise on the Police of the Metropolis

English Legal System: Constitution

In the context of the English law, A Dictionary of Law provides the following legal concept of Constitution :

The rules and practices that determine the composition and functions of the organs of central and local government in a state and regulate the relationship between the individual and the state. Most states have a written constitution, one of the fundamental provisions of which is that it can itself be amended only in accordance with a special procedure. The constitution of the UK is largely unwritte It consists partly of statutes, for the amendment of which by subsequent statutes no special procedure is required (See Act of Parliament), but also, to a very significant extent, of *common law rules and *constitutional conventions.

Constitution in Voting Law

Definition of Constitution in the context of the United States election law: Set of fundamental texts which establish a form of government, regulate the relationship between the governing and the governed and define the public power structure. A constitution also contains a charter of human rights and freedoms.

Constitution in Voting Law

Definition of Constitution in the context of the United States election law: Set of fundamental texts which establish a form of government, regulate the relationship between the governing and the governed and define the public power structure. A constitution also contains a charter of human rights and freedoms.

Definition of Constitution

In relation to social issues, a meaning of constitution is provided here: the system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of a government or another institution. The fundamental law of the United States, framed in 1787, ratified in 1789, and variously amended since then.

Constitution

Constitution

Hierarchical Display of Constitution

Law > Sources and branches of the law > Source of law
Law > Sources and branches of the law > Legal science > Constitutional law

Meaning of Constitution

Overview and more information about Constitution

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Translation of Constitution

• Spanish: Constitución
• French: Constitution
• German: Verfassung
• Italian: Costituzione
• Portuguese: Constituição
• Polish: Konstytucja

Thesaurus of Constitution

Law > Sources and branches of the law > Source of law > Constitution
Law > Sources and branches of the law > Legal science > Constitutional law > Constitution

See also

• Constitutional law

• Control of constitutionality
• Legality
• Constitutional court
• Constitutional revision