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 of amendment

• modification
• alteration
• correction

Examples of amendment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier this week, the EFL confirmed it had been served with legal proceedings by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) over changes enacted in League One, with the PFA citing insufficient consultation on the rule amendments. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

The amendment to the city's municipal code would allow the city to issue citations to people who continue feeding feral cats after being warned. — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Through the Legislature’s amendment process Ramos worked to address opponents’ concerns, narrowing the scope of his bill to no longer apply to municipal- and county-owned land. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Many of these proposals require constitutional amendments approved by two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states. — Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see amend

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for amendment

• intendment

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