- [countable]
the system of laws and basic principles that a state, a country or an organization is governed by 宪法；章程 your right to vote under the constitution 根据宪法所拥有的选举权 According to the constitution… 依照宪法… to propose a new amendment to the Constitution 提出一项新的宪法修正案 the South African Constitution 南非宪法 A two-thirds majority is needed to amend the club’s constitution. 修改俱乐部章程需要三分之二的多数票同意。
WordfinderCulture the British Constitutionthe British ConstitutionBritain is a constitutional monarchy: it is ruled by a king or queen who accepts the advice of Parliament. It is also a parliamentary democracy (= a country whose government is controlled by a parliament that has been elected by the people). The highest positions in government are taken by elected Members of Parliament, also called MPs. The king or queen now has little real power.The principles and procedures by which Britain is governed have developed over many centuries. They are not written down in a single document that can be referred to in an argument. The British Constitution is made up of statute law (= laws agreed by Parliament), common law (= decisions made by judges in court and then written down) and conventions (= rules and practices that people cannot be forced to obey but which are considered necessary for efficient government). The Constitution can be altered by Acts of Parliament, or by general agreement.Similarly, there is no single document that lists people's rights. Some rights have been recognized by Parliament through laws, for example, the right of a person not to be discriminated against (= treated differently) because of his or her sex. The Human Rights Act 1998 made all the rights established in the European Convention on Human Rights part of British law. It is generally understood that these rights are part of the Constitution.Culture the Constitutionthe ConstitutionThe US Constitution was created after the American Revolution when leaders from each state held a meeting called the Constitutional Convention to agree on a document describing the new system of government and limiting its powers, which was signed in 1787, and started being used in 1789. This established the three branches of government: the legislative branch which is Congress, the judicial branch which is the Supreme Court and lower courts created by Congress, and the executive branch which consists of the president, vice-president and government departments. The Constitution contains details about the responsibilities of each branch and who can be elected to Congress. It says that the US government is responsible for protecting individual states. Since 1787 there have been 27 amendments (= changes) to the Constitution including the bill of rights (1791) which promised citizens a number of rights such as the right to free speech and freedom of religion. People sometimes disagree about how to interpret the Constitution, some people believing that it is better to follow exactly what the Constitution says and others that it is necessary to consider what the intention of each part was and how that relates to the situation today. The Supreme Court can decide that a law is unconstitutional so that it cannot be used any more.Extra ExamplesTopics Politicsc1Britain does not have a written constitution. 英国没有成文宪法。 Parliament will vote to amend the constitution. 议会将投票决定是否修订宪法。 The constitution stipulated that a general election must be held within 120 days. 宪法规定必须在 120 天内举行大选。 The constitution was suspended and the army was placed in full control. 暂时停止行宪，由军队实施全面控制。 The new constitution will be adopted next year. 新宪法将于明年正式实施。 The president felt free to interpret the constitution as he saw fit. 总统认为他可以视情况随意解释宪法。 The president's actions violate the constitution. 总统的行为违反了宪法。 These principles are enshrined in the country's constitution. 这些原则都已载入国家宪法。 These rights are established in the federal constitution. 这些权利是联邦宪法中所规定的。 Under the constitution, an election must be called every five years. 依照宪法，选举必须每 5 年举行一次。 plans to draft a new constitution 起草新宪法的计划
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- federal
- state
- democratic
- …
- draft
- draw up
- prepare
- …
- allow something
- guarantee something
- provide something
- …
- according to a/the constitution
- under a/the constitution
- in a/the constitution
- …
- an amendment to a constitution
- a clause in a constitution
- the principles of a constitution
- …
- [countable]
the condition of a person’s body and how healthy it is 身体素质；体质；体格 to have a healthy/strong/weak constitution 体质健康／强壮／虚弱
Extra ExamplesThe child had a weak constitution and was always ill. 这孩子体质很弱，总是生病。 I have a strong constitution and my stomach can handle anything. 我体格强壮，胃口好极了。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- strong
- delicate
- …
- have
- [uncountable, countable] (formal)
the way something is formed or organized 构成；构造 the genetic constitution of cells 细胞的基因构造
- [uncountable] (formal)
the act of forming something 组成；形成
Word OriginMiddle English (denoting a law, or a body of laws or customs): from Latin constitutio(n-), from constituere ‘establish, appoint’, from con- ‘together’ + statuere ‘set up’.