unconstitutional

adjective un·con·sti·tu·tion·al \ ˌən-ˌkän(t)-stə-ˈtü-shnəl , -ˈtyü- , -shə-nᵊl \

|Updated on: 21 Jul 2018

Examples: unconstitutional in a Sentence

Definition of unconstitutional

: not according or consistent with the constitution of a body politic (such as a nation)

an unconstitutional infringement on rights

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unconstitutionality

play \ˌən-ˌkän(t)-stə-ˌtü-shə-ˈna-lə-tē, -ˌtyü-\ noun

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unconstitutionally

adverb

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Examples of unconstitutional in a Sentence

an unconstitutional infringement of rights
The law may be unconstitutional.

Recent Examples of unconstitutional from the Web

In May, the Supreme Court granted states the ability to make their own decisions on sports betting, after the court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was unconstitutional.

— jenna west, SI.com, "FanDuel to Open New Jersey Sportsbook Near MetLife Stadium," 12 July 2018
Robinson ruled last month that Kansas cannot require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, finding such laws are unconstitutional.

— roxana hegeman, The Seattle Times, "Kansas official follows order, registers thousands to vote," 9 July 2018
In July 2017, following a series of court rulings that found anti-panhandling laws elsewhere in the nation to be unconstitutional, Orlando overturned its 2000 ordinance that limited solicitation to a series of boxes outlined in blue paint.

— kate santich, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Downtown Orlando panhandling soaring, leaders say," 9 July 2018
Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Wednesday that the pension reform legislation passed by the state legislature earlier this year is unconstitutional because of the rapid manner it which it was passed.

— morgan watkins, The Courier-Journal, "Senate GOP leader: Don't expect us to save pensions if ruling stands," 21 June 2018
Justice Gersdorf, who is 65, and more than a dozen others have refused to make such appeals, saying that the law itself was unconstitutional.

— marc santora, New York Times, "Poland Purges Supreme Court, and Protesters Take to Streets," 3 July 2018
His attorneys are asking U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, who ruled that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s case against Manafort can go to trial next month, to find that the searches were unconstitutional.

— rachel weiner, latimes.com, "Paul Manafort fights use of financial records at trial," 29 June 2018
The justices held 7-2 that this scheme was unconstitutional.

— james taranto, WSJ, "The Lawyers Who Beat the Unions," 29 June 2018
The ruling effectively ends the case, but other gun organizations have sued in federal court, claiming the law is unconstitutional.

— bob egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Calif. Supreme Court upholds law requiring bullet-tracing technology on guns," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unconstitutional.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.