amendment

noun

amend·​ment ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt 

1

a

: the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as a constitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure

rights that were granted by amendment of the Constitution

b

: an alteration proposed or effected by this process

a constitutional amendment

2

: the act of amending something : correction

3

: a material (such as compost or sand) that aids plant growth indirectly by improving the condition of the soil

soil amendments

Did you know?

What is a constitutional amendment?

An amendment is essentially a correction. It comes in many varieties, up to and including the process of altering something through either parliamentary or constitutional procedure. In the United States, the word is often used specifically of a change to the U.S. Constitution. A constitutional amendment may be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives or through a constitutional convention with majority votes in two-thirds of state legislatures. Once it is ratified by Congress, it must be approved by three-fourths (i.e., 38 of 50) of the states.

Synonyms

• correction
• emendation

Examples of amendment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump’s favor in determining that Trump had not violated this amendment in his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. —Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Jan. 2025

The amendment expands anti-discrimination protections to include terms such as gender identity, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025

Despite the amendment going into effect immediately on June 20, the specifics of enforcement were unclear. —Jon McGowan, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

Campaigns for and against the amendment spent millions of dollars on ads and materials leading up to the vote, with notable politicians including U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and Lt. —Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see amend

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

amendment

noun

amend·​ment ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt 

1

: the act or process of amending especially for the better

2

: a change in wording or meaning especially in a law, bill, or motion

Legal Definition

amendment

noun

amend·​ment

1

: an act of amending

especially : an alteration in wording

amendments to cure the defect in the pleading

2

: an alteration proposed or put into effect by parliamentary or constitutional procedure

the Congress…shall propose amendments to this Constitution

—U.S. Constitution art. V