constitution
    n 1: law determining the fundamental political principles of a
         government [syn: fundamental law, organic law,
         constitution]
    2: the act of forming or establishing something; "the
       constitution of a PTA group last year"; "it was the
       establishment of his reputation"; "he still remembers the
       organization of the club" [syn: constitution,
       establishment, formation, organization, organisation]
    3: the constitution written at the Constitutional Convention in
       Philadelphia in 1787 and subsequently ratified by the
       original thirteen states [syn: United States Constitution,
       U.S. Constitution, US Constitution, Constitution,
       Constitution of the United States]
    4: the way in which someone or something is composed [syn:
       constitution, composition, physical composition,
       makeup, make-up]
    5: a United States 44-gun frigate that was one of the first
       three naval ships built by the United States; it won
       brilliant victories over British frigates during the War of
       1812 and is without doubt the most famous ship in the history
       of the United States Navy; it has been rebuilt and is
       anchored in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston [syn:
       Constitution, Old Ironsides]

Constitution \Con`sti*tu"tion\ (k[o^]n`st[i^]*t[=u]"sh[u^]n), n.
   [F. constitution, L. constitutio.]
   1. The act or process of constituting; the action of
      enacting, establishing, or appointing; enactment;
      establishment; formation.
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   2. The state of being; that form of being, or structure and
      connection of parts, which constitutes and characterizes a
      system or body; natural condition; structure; texture;
      conformation.
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            The physical constitution of the sun. --Sir J.
                                                  Herschel.
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   3. The aggregate of all one's inherited physical qualities;
      the aggregate of the vital powers of an individual, with
      reference to ability to endure hardship, resist disease,
      etc.; as, a robust constitution.
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            Our constitutions have never been enfeebled by the
            vices or luxuries of the old world.   --Story.
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   4. The aggregate of mental qualities; temperament.
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            He defended himself with . . . less passion than was
            expected from his constitution.       --Clarendon.
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   5. The fundamental, organic law or principles of government
      of men, embodied in written documents, or implied in the
      institutions and usages of the country or society; also, a
      written instrument embodying such organic law, and laying
      down fundamental rules and principles for the conduct of
      affairs.
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            Our constitution had begun to exist in times when
            statesmen were not much accustomed to frame exact
            definitions.                          --Macaulay.
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   Note: In England the constitution is unwritten, and may be
         modified from time to time by act of Parliament. In the
         United States a constitution cannot ordinarily be
         modified, exept through such processes as the
         constitution itself ordains.
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   6. An authoritative ordinance, regulation or enactment;
      especially, one made by a Roman emperor, or one affecting
      ecclesiastical doctrine or discipline; as, the
      constitutions of Justinian.
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            The positive constitutions of our own churches.
                                                  --Hooker.
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            A constitution of Valentinian addressed to Olybrius,
            then prefect of Rome, for the regulation of the
            conduct of advocates.                 --George Long.
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   Apostolic constitutions. See under Apostolic.
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CONSTITUTION, contracts. The constitution of a contract, is the making of 
the contract as, the written constitution of a debt. 1 Bell's Com. 332, 5th 
ed. 

CONSTITUTION, government. The fundamental law of the state, containing the 
principles upon which the government is founded, and regulating the 
divisions of the sovereign powers, directing to what persons each of these 
powers is to be confided, and the, manner it is to be exercised as, the 
Constitution of the United States. See Story on the Constitution; Rawle on 
the Const. 
     2. The words constitution and government (q.v.) are sometimes employed 
to express the same idea, the manner in which sovereignty is exercised in 
each state. Constitution is also the name of the instrument containing the 
fundamental laws of the state. 
     3. By constitution, the civilians, and, from them, the common law 
writers, mean some particular law; as the constitutions of the emperors 
contained in the Code.