Constitution

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃ(ə)n/

Definitions

1. A fundamental set of principles and laws that establish the structure, powers, and limits of a government or organization
2. A foundational legal document that defines the principles, structure, and powers of a governing body or organization
3. A foundational framework that outlines the governing principles and laws establishing the authority, structure, and limitations of a political entity or organization

Etymology: The Latin verb "cōnstituere" meant to set up, establish, or decide, and its noun "cōnstitūtiō" could mean a person's character or nature as well as a regulation or arrangement. That double sense is the key to the modern word. A thing's constitution was once its make-up, the way it was put together, and a body of rules was simply one more arrangement that someone had set in place. The word reached English through Middle English, where "constitucioun" covered a wide range of meanings: an edict or ordinance, a statute, a body of customs, even a principle of science or a creation. It came via Old French, where it was a learned borrowing from Latin, which explains why it looks so much like its Latin ancestor. The meaning of a governing document narrowed from this broader field of "established arrangements," so that a nation's basic law came to be the arrangement that matters most.

Synonyms: charter, foundation, framework, structure, establishment

Antonyms: disorganization, chaos, anarchy, instability, disorder