constitutional

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌkɑn.stɪˈt(j)u.ʃ(ə)n.(ə)l/ UK /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃ(ə)n.(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #13025

Meanings

1

adj
Relating to the constitution, the basic set of laws and principles of a country.

Free speech is a constitutional right in many democracies.
2

adj
Allowed by or in agreement with a country's constitution.

The Supreme Court ruled that the new law was constitutional.
3

adj
Belonging to the basic nature of a person's body or mind.

His cheerfulness seemed to be a constitutional part of who he was.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · belonging to the basic... inherent

Word family

Forms constitutionallyconstitutionals

Derived forms anti-constitutionalanticonstitutionalanticonstitutionalistanticonstitutionallyconstitutionalisationconstitutionaliseconstitutionalismconstitutionalistconstitutionalisticconstitutionalityconstitutionalizationconstitutionalize

Related forms constituency constituent constitute constitutionconstitutionedconstitutionistconstitutionlessconstitutiveconstitutivelyconstitutivenessconstitutor

Appears in

Etymology

PIE word *ḱóm From constitution + -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Constitution is derived 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,…

*steh₂- Proto-Indo-European constitucioun Middle English constitucion Old French cōnstitūtiō Latin

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

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# constitutional

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌkɑn.stɪˈt(j)u.ʃ(ə)n.(ə)l/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃ(ə)n.(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 13025

## Meanings
1. Relating to the constitution, the basic set of laws and principles of a country.
2. Allowed by or in agreement with a country's constitution.
3. Belonging to the basic nature of a person's body or mind.

## Examples
- Free speech is a constitutional right in many democracies.
- The Supreme Court ruled that the new law was constitutional.
- His cheerfulness seemed to be a constitutional part of who he was.

## Derived Forms
- anti-constitutional
- anticonstitutional
- anticonstitutionalist
- anticonstitutionally
- constitutionalisation
- constitutionalise
- constitutionalism
- constitutionalist
- constitutionalistic
- constitutionality
- constitutionalization
- constitutionalize

## Related Forms
- constituency
- constituent
- constitute
- constitution
- constitutioned
- constitutionist
- constitutionless
- constitutive
- constitutively
- constitutiveness
- constitutor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *steh₂-
- Root: constitucioun
- Root: constitucion
- Root: cōnstitūtiō

## Etymology
PIE word *ḱóm From constitution + -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Constitution is derived 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,…

## AI Etymology
Constitutional is from constitution + -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Constitution is derived 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,… The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *steh₂- (Proto-Indo-European), constitucioun (Middle English), constitucion (Old French), and cōnstitūtiō (Latin). Current senses include relating to the constitution, the basic set of laws and principles of a country, allowed by or in agreement with a country's constitution, and belonging to the basic nature of a person's body or mind. The wider family includes derived forms such as anti-constitutional, anticonstitutional, anticonstitutionalist, anticonstitutionally, and constitutionalisation and related words such as constituency, constituent, constitute, constitution, and constitutioned.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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constitutional

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