Constitutionally

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /kɒnstɪˈt͡ʃuːʃənəli/

Definitions

1. In a manner that reflects the established legal framework governing a society and in accordance with the essential traits or qualities of a person or thing
2. In a way that aligns with the foundational laws and principles governing a state, while also pertaining to the inherent characteristics or qualities of an entity
3. Acting in a way that complies with the basic legal rules of an organization or country ; according to the essential makeup or natural attributes of a person or object

Etymology: "Constitutionally" is simply the adjective "constitutional" with the adverbial ending "-ly" added. The adjective is itself built from "constitution," a word that goes back to the Latin "constitutio," meaning an arrangement or ordering of something, and the "-ly" ending traces a long path of its own. It descends from the same Germanic root as "like," in the sense of "having the form or appearance of," so the ending originally carried the idea of "in the manner of." Over many centuries it was reshaped into the modern "-ly" that turns adjectives into adverbs. The word therefore means "in a way that accords with the basic framework of a state or organisation," which is why its most familiar use is in political and legal contexts. Its sense has narrowed from the general idea of how something is put together to the specific idea of a foundational set of laws, and the everyday meaning of "constitution" as a person's physical make-up still survives alongside it.

Synonyms: legally, officially, formally, statutorily, juridically