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

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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

Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante pushed for the amendment. — Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "House leaders propose tax incentives for Broadway-bound shows," 13 July 2018 Opponents said the amendment would have opened the door to new fees and costs to rooftop solar users. — Lois K. Solomon, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Why are solar trees popping up all over? Thank thousands of South Florida families," 13 July 2018 The amendment would block funding to finalize agency rulemaking proposed by Pruitt until the inspector general’s reviews are complete. — Dino Grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Republicans can't agree on this climate deal brokered by Obama," 12 July 2018 The business community has the ability to give significant financial support to Nirenberg’s campaign against the amendments. . — Josh Baugh, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas AG warns San Antonio officials about proposed paid sick leave ordinance," 10 July 2018 His replacement will determine which vision of the amendment prevails for decades to come. — Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "On the 150th Birthday of the 14th Amendment, Its Future Hangs in the Balance," 9 July 2018 The amendment will be discussed during a House-Senate conference this month. — Tylisa C. Johnson, Philly.com, "74 sailors died during a Vietnam warfare exercise, but their names aren't on D.C. memorial," 9 July 2018 Aresimowicz dismissed concerns that the amendment opens a potential Pandora’s Box. — Dave Altimari, courant.com, "Ethics Board Says Secret Amendment To Benefit Edsall “An Affront To All Connecticut Citizens”," 27 June 2018 The measure was originally scheduled for a vote last week, but House Speaker Paul Ryan and his leadership team agreed to postpone action to give Republicans more time to work on the amendment that now won’t be included. — Anna Edgerton, Bloomberg.com, "GOP Immigration Bill to Leave Out Conservative Demands, Source Says," 26 June 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.

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Dictionary Entries near amendment

amende honorable

Statistics for amendment

Last Updated

13 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for amendment

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

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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

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