amendment

noun amend·ment \ ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of amendment

1 a : 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

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Recent Examples of amendment from the Web

The council voted to table the bill to allow time to work through Weinstein’s suggestions and other possible amendments.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "County Council puts off votes on mulch, landlord regulations," 8 May 2018
Later in the session, though, Farnsworth offered amendments that would not allow judges to reduce fines and fees, only certain surcharges.

— megan cassidy, azcentral, "Arizona has a huge prison population. Lawmakers take no action to change that. Why?," 8 May 2018
In other business, the council could give initial approval of a zoning code amendment to allow craft breweries, wineries and distilleries in the industrial area on Newport's west side to offer small tasting rooms for onsite consumption.

— hillary davis, latimes.com, "Newport Beach City Council to discuss apparent e-mail leak with city attorney," 5 May 2018
The 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote.

— katie v. jones, Howard County Times, "Curiosity drives greater understanding of The Great War," 3 May 2018
Also, the proposal ignores the fact that Tehran would hardly feel inclined to agree to any amendment that would tighten rather than sweeten the JCPOA.

— tobias schumacher, The New Republic, "The Long-Suffering Europeans Trying to Save the Iran Deal," 3 May 2018
On April 27, lawmakers gathered to vote on the bill, which passed with amendments.

— sarah kinonen, Allure, "Hawaii Wants to Ban Chemical Sunscreen to Save Its Coral Reefs [Update]," 30 Apr. 2018
The amendment was supported by the bill's main sponsors.

— erin kelly, USA TODAY, "Senate panel approves bipartisan bill to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from firing," 26 Apr. 2018
The new amendment approved by the City Council extends completion of roadway improvements at Ashley Road and Route 126 to 2021.

— linda girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Yorkville OKs delay in intersection improvements," 26 Apr. 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.

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.