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

The constitutional amendment renews approval for the state using Minnesota State Lottery revenue for conservation, raises the amount of lottery money the state can spend each year and creates a new advisory council to decide how to award grants. —Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 6 Nov. 2024

The lone constitutional amendment question on Tuesday's ballot had not been finalized by the end of the night, with the latest results showing 53% of voters voting to approve the measure that would change the governor's line of succession and 46% voting against. —Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024

While most Kentucky voters were focused on the presidential race and a controversial constitutional amendment Tuesday, there were dozens of candidates vying for the chance to represent their communities in small municipalities in and around Jefferson County. —Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Nov. 2024

The fine print: Constitutional amendments need more than 50% support to pass. —Torey Van Oot, Axios, 5 Nov. 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