constitutional

/ˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃənl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːnstɪˈtuːʃənl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌkän(t)-stə-ˈtü-sh(ə-)nəl -ˈtyü-/ (ame, mw) · /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtʃuː.ʃən.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌkɑːn.stəˈtuː.ʃən.əl/ (ame, ipa)

constitutional — adjective

  • constitutionalpositive
  • more constitutionalcomparative
  • most constitutionalsuperlative

1. describes a law, right, or action that is allowed by a country's constitution —

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a law, right, or action that is allowed by a country's constitution — the set of basic rules by which a nation is governed.

例句

The court decided that the law did not violate any constitutional rights.

collocation: constitutional rights

In some countries, freedom of the press is a constitutional guarantee the government cannot remove.

pattern: constitutional + noun (guarantee)

同義詞
  • legal

    broader — something legal simply follows any law, not just the constitution

  • lawful

    similar in meaning but less tied to a written constitution; more general

  • legitimate

    focuses on what is morally or logically accepted, not only on constitutional rules

反義詞
  • unconstitutional

    the direct opposite — describes something that goes against the constitution

文法句型

constitutional + noun (right / law / amendment)

be + constitutional

用法筆記

This sense appears most often before a noun (constitutional right / constitutional guarantee) or after be (not constitutional). It is the most common meaning in news and legal discussions.

常見錯誤

❌The law was constitutionalised by parliament.
✅The law was declared constitutional by the supreme court.
💡The verb constitutionalise is very rare; use declare constitutional or pass a constitutional law instead.
❌This is a legal right, so it is constitutional.
✅This is a legal right protected by the constitution, so it is constitutional.
💡Not every legal right is constitutional; only rights in the constitution itself are constitutional.

2. connected with the natural condition of a person's body, especially how strong o

2.形容詞C1
釋義

connected with the natural condition of a person's body, especially how strong or healthy they are by nature rather than because of treatment or training.

例句

The doctor said Mayumi's constitutional weakness made it hard for her to fight off infections.

collocation: constitutional weakness

Regular exercise helped improve Sade's constitutional health, and she caught far fewer colds.

collocation: constitutional health

同義詞
  • physical

    broader and more common; refers to the body generally without the 'inborn nature' nuance

  • innate

    focuses on what someone is born with; overlaps with constitutional but also covers mental traits

  • bodily

    plain, neutral term for anything related to the body; less formal

文法句型

constitutional + noun (strength / weakness / health)

用法筆記

This sense is formal and less common in everyday speech. It typically appears in medical or fitness contexts. The noun it modifies nearly always relates to physical condition: strength, weakness, health, vigour, frailty.

常見錯誤

❌She has a constitutional disease.
✅She has a genetic condition.
💡Constitutional in the health sense refers to general body condition, not to any specific disease.

3. relating to the basic set of principles and rules by which a nation or instituti

3.形容詞B2
釋義

relating to the basic set of principles and rules by which a nation or institution is governed, or to the written document that sets out those rules.

例句

The government announced a package of constitutional reforms that would change how elections work.

collocation: constitutional reforms

The country faced a serious constitutional crisis after the president refused to accept the court's decision.

collocation: constitutional crisis

同義詞
  • governmental

    broader — covers all aspects of government, not just the constitution

  • parliamentary

    narrower — relates specifically to a parliament system, not all constitutional systems

文法句型

constitutional + noun (reform / crisis / monarchy / law)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS): sense 1 focuses on whether something is permitted by the constitution, while sense 3 focuses on the system and document itself — constitutional reform, constitutional law, constitutional monarchy.

constitutional — noun