amendment

noun

amend·ment | \ ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt

Definition of amendment

1a : 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

Synonyms What is a constitutional amendment? More Example Sentences Learn More about amendment

Keep scrolling for more

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.

Examples of amendment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The amendments will likely provide a guide to where the concerns of lawmakers lie. — Joanna Sugden, WSJ, "U.K. Parliament’s Vote on Brexit Deal Explained," 14 Jan. 2019 But the amendment doesn't offer any real details about how to accomplish that—leaving it to individual countries or individual companies to figure it out. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "An EU copyright bill could force YouTube-style filtering across the Web," 11 Sep. 2018 Tabor, who supported the changes, still can’t say whether the amendments will be more beneficial to the return team or kickoff team. — Dan Wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "Will Pat O'Donnell respond to competition in fight to stick with Bears?," 13 July 2018 The amendment adopted in the House on Wednesday takes a step in that direction. — Felice J. Freyer, BostonGlobe.com, "House backs plan to try addiction medications in some Mass. prisons," 12 July 2018 The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution may have been ratified 150 years ago — on July 9, 1868 — but Monday’s news is clear proof that the amendment is as timely as ever. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, "Trump's Supreme Court Pick Puts Spotlight on Roe v. Wade on 150th Anniversary of the Amendment That Made the Case Possible," 9 July 2018 North Carolina voters this month also approved a constitutional amendment this month mandating photo identification to vote in person. — Gary D. Robertson, The Seattle Times, "North Carolina board delays finalizing congressional result," 27 Nov. 2018 Joe Raedle/Getty Images Florida voted on Tuesday to approve a constitutional amendment that will restore voting rights to more than 1 million people with felony records. — German Lopez, Vox, "Would ex-felon voting rights have flipped Florida for Democrats? It’s possible.," 7 Nov. 2018 But future windfalls could be erased if voters in November approve Amendment One, a constitutional amendment to add another $25,000 homestead exemption for homes valued at more than $100,000. — Jerry Fallstrom, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake says not enough money to fund sheriff's $9.8 million budget increase request," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amendment.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about amendment

Dictionary Entries near amendment

Statistics for amendment

Last Updated

20 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for amendment

The first known use of amendment was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for amendment

amendment

noun

amend·ment | \ ə-ˈmend-mənt

Kids Definition of amendment

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

amendment

noun

amend·ment

Legal Definition of amendment

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