constitutionality

Etymology

It is formed from English constitutional + -ity,^[2][3][4] perhaps at first after French constitutionnalité.^[2] The adjective constitutional is from constitution, ultimately from Latin cōnstitūtiō (“act of settling, regulation”), from cōnstituō (“to set up, establish”).^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The quality of being in accordance with the constitution: 1787, in Alexander Hamilton's writings.^[2][3][5] Dictionary.com dates it to 1780–90 and marks it as an Americanism.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The noun rests on the political sense of constitutional, "authorized by the constitution", which Etymonline dates from 1765.^[3] The OED gives it a single sense;^[2] Merriam-Webster Unabridged distinguishes a general sense, the state of being constitutional, from consistency with the provisions of a particular constitution such as that of the United States.^[5] Its opposite unconstitutionality is recorded from 1795, in a letter of George Washington.^[2]

Timeline

• 1787 – the quality of being in accordance with a constitution.^[2][3][5]

Meanings

Noun

1. The quality or state of being in accord with a constitution, especially of a law or act being permitted by it: The court will rule on the constitutionality of the new law.^[6][5][2]
2. The quality or state of being constitutional in general, as of a government.^[5]

Related words

• constitutional
• constitution
• constitute
• unconstitutionality

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins