Definition of amendment
1a : the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as a consitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure rights that were granted by amendment of the Constitutionb : 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
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of amendment from the Web
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The delegation of bankers and politicians aimed to convey to Congress that, without amendments, the draft regulations would damage their economy and even the overall stability of the country.
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The lawsuit alleges that this dual-taxation scheme violates a local constitutional amendment that prohibits simultaneous imposition of the county school tax up to the amount of any local district tax.
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Wagle said the amendment only applied to the state’s hospitals, community mental health centers and KU Health.
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Herbold proposed lowering the tax rate to 1 cent per ounce and keeping diet drinks in the tax, but her amendments were rejected by the committee.
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Angry voters shouted at MacArthur over his amendment that revived the Republicans’ American Health Care Act, which aims to replace Democratic former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
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The literal language of an amendment appears to protect those with pre-existing conditions.
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An early election could be held only if Congress approved a constitutional amendment.
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The school administration, citing logistical and first amendment concerns, refused.
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.
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.
Origin and Etymology of amendment
see amend
First Known Use: 13th century
AMENDMENT Defined for Kids
amendment
playDefinition of amendment for Students
: a change in wording or meaning especially in a law, bill, or motion
Law Dictionary
amendment
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
Learn More about amendment
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for amendment Spanish Central: Translation of amendment Nglish: Translation of amendment for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of amendment for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about amendment
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