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

There are concerns that the amendment could be unconstitutional and lead to greater overcrowding in county jails. — Christopher Harress | Charress@al.com, al, "Faulty cell locks in Mobile Metro Jail will take 300 days to replace and cost nearly $700,000," 3 Sep. 2019 Advocates say the amendment is the first of its kind in the United States. — Erin Corbett, Fortune, "Low-Income Austin Residents Could Soon Get Funding for Abortion ‘Logistical Support.’ Here’s What That Means," 21 Aug. 2019 Lam said the amendment was necessary to close a loophole that protected fugitives wanted in countries without extradition treaties with Hong Kong, including China and Taiwan. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Huge crowds of Hong Kong protesters call for leader to resign," 16 June 2019 The Space Corps amendment was bipartisan, proposed by Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "A Space Force by Any Other Name: House Committee Approves "Space Corps"," 14 June 2019 The Hyde amendment is in real peril like never before. — John Mccormack, National Review, "Is the Hyde Amendment Safe After All?," 13 June 2019 Striking the one-year residency requirement would have been one of several changes to the sheriff’s position that voters will consider in November as part of the charter amendment. — Courtney Astolfi, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga County Council shoots down Budish proposal that could have allowed non-county resident to be sheriff," 4 Sep. 2019 That pay raise for the city council on April 8 was struck down in a majority support of an amendment proposed by Robinson to leave the council salaries unchanged while giving the mayor’s office a raise. — Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, "Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle’s veto over salary increase stands," 23 Aug. 2019 Yet even with the passage of the 19th amendment, states and municipalities continued to ignore their enforcement, disenfranchising people of color across the nation. — Teen Vogue, "The 19th Amendment Only Really Helped White Women," 16 Aug. 2019

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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Last Updated

13 Oct 2019

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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