unconstitutional

/ˌʌnˌkɒnstɪˈtjuːʃənl/ (bre, ipa) · [ˌʌnkˌɑnstətˈuʃənəl] /ˌʌnˌkɑːnstɪˈtuːʃənl/ (ame, ipa) · [ˌʌnkˌɑnstətˈuʃənəl] /ˌən-ˌkän(t)-stə-ˈtü-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce unconstitutional (audio) -ˈtyü-/ (ame, mw)

unconstitutional — adjective

  • unconstitutionalpositive
  • more unconstitutionalcomparative
  • most unconstitutionalsuperlative

1. describes a law, government action, or official decision that conflicts with the

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a law, government action, or official decision that conflicts with the set of basic principles by which a state or organization is run

例句

A federal judge in Texas declared the city's ban on food trucks unconstitutional.

declare + object + unconstitutional

The voting law was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last year.

passive: ruled unconstitutional by [court]

同義詞
  • illegal

    broader term; unconstitutional is a specific type of illegality involving a constitution

  • invalid

    focuses on lack of legal force; can apply to contracts or decisions for reasons other than constitutional conflict

反義詞
  • constitutional

    direct opposite — allowed by the constitution

  • lawful

    broader opposite — permitted by law generally, not necessarily by the constitution

文法句型

declare/rule/find + something + unconstitutional

something + be + unconstitutional

用法筆記

Common in legal and political discourse. Frequently appears with verbs such as 'declare', 'rule', 'find', and 'strike down', often in passive constructions describing court decisions.

常見錯誤

❌The new law is illegal because it violates the constitution.
✅The new law is unconstitutional because it violates the constitution.
💡'Illegal' means against ordinary laws; 'unconstitutional' specifically means against a country's constitution.
❌The court declared the law un-constitutional.
✅The court declared the law unconstitutional.
💡'Unconstitutional' is a single word and does not take a hyphen.