noun

amendment

/əˈmendmənt/ · say it: uh·MEND·muhnt

a formal change to a law or constitution

In Politics & Diplomacy

In more detail

1. (noun) a change or addition made to a law, constitution, or document

2. (noun) an improvement or correction made to something

Examples

1. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of speech.
2. The soil amendment helped improve the quality of the garden.

How to use amendment

Amendment refers to a formal change or addition to an official document, most commonly a law or constitution, or to an improvement made to correct or enhance something. It implies a deliberate, often official process rather than random alteration. The term is widely used in legal and political contexts but also applies to revisions in academic or professional documents.

Common phrases

propose an amendment
pass an amendment
constitutional amendment
amendment to the law
adopt an amendment
ratify an amendment

Synonyms

alteration · modification · revision · change · addition

Word family

amend (verb) · amended (adjective) · amending (verb form)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse amendment with amend itself or fail to recognize that an amendment can be either an addition (First Amendment) or a correction (emending a manuscript is amendment-like but not formally called that).

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