# constitution

Pronunciation: US say "kon-sti-TOO-shuhn" /ˌkɑnstɪˈtuʃ(ə)n/; UK say "kon-sti-TYOO-shuhn" /ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃ(ə)n/

## Noun

1. The basic principles and laws by which a nation, state, or organization is governed, or the written document that sets them out.
   - Simple: The basic laws and rules for running a country or group, or the document they are written in.
   - _The nation's constitution divides power among three branches of government._
   - _Britain's constitution is unwritten, resting on statutes, conventions, and judicial precedent._
2. A person's physical makeup and general health, especially their natural strength and ability to resist illness.
   - Simple: How strong and healthy a person's body naturally is.
   - _His robust constitution helped him recover quickly from the surgery._
   - _Travelers with a delicate constitution should be careful about unfamiliar food and water._
3. The act or process of setting something up or establishing it, or the way in which a thing is composed and structured.
   - Simple: The act of setting something up, or the way it is put together.
   - _The agreement calls for the constitution of a joint panel within ninety days to settle any disputes._
   - _Chemists analyzed the constitution of the alloy to determine its strength._
4. An official document issued by a religious authority to announce or establish particular church laws or doctrines.
   - Simple: An official document from a church leader that sets out certain church rules or teachings.
   - _The pope promulgated an apostolic constitution restructuring the diocese._
   - _Several constitutions issued by the council clarified longstanding points of doctrine._

## Origin

Borrowed through Middle English constitucioun and Old French constitucion from Latin cōnstitūtiō ("character, constitution, nature; regulation; arrangement, system"), from cōnstituō ("to establish, set up; to decide"). It is equivalent to constitute + -ion.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/constitution (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).