constitutionalism

1 of 2

noun (1)

con·​sti·​tu·​tion·​al·​ism ˌkän(t)-stə-ˈtü-sh(ə-)nə-ˌli-zəm 

-tyü-

: adherence to or government according to constitutional principles

also : a constitutional system of government

constitutionalist

ˌkän(t)-stə-ˈtü-sh(ə-)nə-list 

-tyü-

noun

constitutionalist

2 of 2

noun (2)

con·​sti·​tu·​tion·​al·​ist ¦kän(t)-stə-¦t(y)ü-sh(ə-)nə-list 

plural -s

1

: one who studies or writes on constitutionalism

2

: an adherent or advocate of constitutionalism or of some particular constitution

specifically, usually capitalized : an advocate of the U.S. Constitution about the time of its adoption

Examples of constitutionalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s a real, consistent history and commitment to constitutionalism and desire for democracy in Iran that didn’t necessarily exist in Iraq or Afghanistan, but building institutions and creating consensus and identifying leaders is a very, very hard job. — ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026

The letter codified the idea that the modern West—defined by liberalism, constitutionalism, and multi-party democracy—could be separated, conceptually, from the ancient West, as represented by Greece and Rome. — Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026

So the same establishment that had once helped push a Qajar shah toward constitutionalism helped pull a Pahlavi shah back from exile and back into absolutism. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026

Congress’s constitutionalism carries advantages over the Court’s. — Duncan Hosie, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1832, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for constitutionalism

• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism
• anticommunism
• antisemitism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• colloquialism
• colonialism
• consequentialism
• contextualism
• conventionalism