Anticonstitutional

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to measures or actions that contradict the established constitution
2. Referring to actions or laws that are not in alignment with constitutional principles
3. Any actions or laws that violate the principles set forth in the governing constitution can be described in this way

Etymology: "Anticonstitutional" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "anti-", from Greek "anti" meaning "against" or "opposite to", has been attached to "constitutional", the adjective built on "constitution" (a body of fundamental principles by which a state is governed). The combined sense, "against constitutional law," follows directly from the two parts without any shift in meaning. The prefix itself is the more interesting piece. "Anti" came into English from Greek and Latin use, and English speakers have been attaching it freely to existing words for centuries, so "anticonstitutional" is a product of that habit rather than a term coined for a single purpose. Its literal meaning has stayed exactly where it started.

Synonyms: unconstitutional, illegitimate