# constitution

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌkɒn.stɪˈtjuː.ʃ(ə)n/ · frequency rank #2,661

## Definitions
1. The act, or process of setting something up, or establishing something; the composition or structure of such a thing; its makeup.
2. The formal or informal system of primary principles and laws that regulates a government or other institutions.
3. A legal document describing such a formal system.
4. A document issued by a religious authority serving to promulgate some particular church laws or doctrines.
5. A person's physical makeup or temperament, especially in respect of robustness.
6. The general health of a person.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *ḱóm
From Middle English constitucioun, constitucion (“edict, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, statute; body of laws or rules, or customs; body of fundamental principles; principle or rule (of science); creation”) from Old French constitucion (modern French constitution), a learned borrowing from Latin cōnstitūtiō, cōnstitūtiōnem (“character, constitution, disposition, nature; definition; point in dispute; order, regulation; arrangement, system”), from cōnstituō (“to establish, set up; to confirm; to decide, resolve”). Equivalent to constitute + -ion.

## Easily confused with
- **constitutive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/constitution-vs-constitutive)
- **constitutional** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/constitution-vs-constitutional)
- **constipation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/constipation-vs-constitution)

## Common misspellings (19)
`cconstitution`, `cnostitution`, `connstitution`, `consittution`, `consstitution`, `constittuion`, `constittution`, `constituiton`, `constitusion`, `constitutino`, `constitutionn`, `constitutoin`, `constituttion`, `constiuttion`, `consttitution`, `consttiution`, `contsitution`, `cosntitution`, `ocnstitution`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/constitution