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

Graves said before the House Appropriations Committee voted down Quigley’s amendment. — Maureen Groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana may need millions of dollars to prevent election hacking by Russia and others," 25 June 2018 Congress, meanwhile, considered — and ultimately rejected — an amendment that would have denied states the authority to enforce animal welfare standards within their own borders. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, "Dog and cat meat is now, finally, illegal," 18 Dec. 2018 In another sign of the government’s weakness, lawmakers also passed an amendment giving Parliament more say over the government’s next steps if the assembly rejects the divorce deal in a vote set for Dec. 11. — Raf Casert, The Seattle Times, "UK Parliament delivers rebuke to government over Brexit," 4 Dec. 2018 An amendment passed in 1995 prohibiting the Department of Health and Human Services from funding the creation or destruction of human embryos for research purposes further explains why there hasn’t been more federal involvement. — Kayla Webley Adler, Marie Claire, "When Your Dreams of Motherhood Are Destroyed," 1 Oct. 2018 As a freshman on the influential Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the Democrat saw an opportunity to propose it as an amendment during the committee’s contentious debate over the ACA. — Jenna Sauers, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Women Really Quit Breastfeeding," 17 July 2018 The Senate has passed their own version of the act without such an amendment. — Story Hinckley, The Christian Science Monitor, "Group effort rules the roost in Wyoming, then Washington intervenes," 10 July 2018 In April, Congressman Henry Cuellar pulled an amendment allowing that from debate after facing opposition from airline groups and D.C.-area lawmakers. — Joshua Fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio aviation director talks travel ban, airport construction and flying the F-22," 9 July 2018 Yesterday, the European Parliament approved amendments to the controversial Copyright Directive, a piece of legislation intended to update copyright for the internet age. — James Vincent, The Verge, "Everything you need to know about Europe’s new copyright directive," 13 Sep. 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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Last Updated

26 May 2019

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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