amendment

noun

amend·​ment ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt How to pronounce amendment (audio)
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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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 If passed, Amendment 1 would require candidates to disclose their party affiliation when running for office, undoing a 1998 amendment making school board races nonpartisan. Yacob Reyes, Axios, 23 Sep. 2024 What To Watch For McDonnell suggested Monday the legislature put a constitutional amendment on the ballot next year so voters can decide if the electoral vote system in the state should be changed. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 Yet, new amendments proposed by its Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules are an open effort to advance through rulemaking a partisan and ideological agenda that could not pass Congress. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 17 Sep. 2024 But several states have put similar amendments on the ballot and voters have overwhelmingly passed those. Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for amendment 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amendment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see amend

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near amendment

Cite this Entry

“Amendment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amendment. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

amendment

noun
amend·​ment ə-ˈmen(d)-mənt How to pronounce amendment (audio)
1
: the act or process of amending especially for the better
2
: a change in wording or meaning especially in a law, bill, or motion

Legal Definition

amendment

noun
amend·​ment
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 ConstitutionU.S. Constitution art. V

More from Merriam-Webster on amendment

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