Definition of AMENDMENTS (original) (raw)

: the process of altering or amending a law or document (such as a constitution) by parliamentary or constitutional procedure

rights that were granted by amendment of the Constitution

: an alteration proposed or effected by this process

a constitutional amendment

: a material (such as compost or sand) that aids plant growth indirectly by improving the condition of the soil

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An amendment is essentially a correction. It comes in many varieties, up to and including the process of altering something through either parliamentary or constitutional procedure. In the United States, the word is often used specifically of a change to the U.S. Constitution. A constitutional amendment may be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives or through a constitutional convention with majority votes in two-thirds of state legislatures. Once it is ratified by Congress, it must be approved by three-fourths (i.e., 38 of 50) of the states.

Synonyms

Examples of amendment in a Sentence

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The bill repeals two amendments to the Social Security Act that sought to prevent windfall benefits for government employees with pensions. —The Editors, National Review, 23 Dec. 2024 Paul offered the amendment to offset the cost of the Social Security Fairness Act, a bill to repeal two statutes that limit the payouts to police officers, firefighters, teachers and other state and local public sector workers. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 21 Dec. 2024 To undo the damage made by this legislation, my amendment to gradually raise the retirement age to reflect current life expectancies will strengthen Social Security by providing almost $400 billion in savings. —Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024 Require consent to perform an intimate examination on an anesthetized or unconscious patient, except under limited circumstances, according to an amendment to the bill. —Max Filby, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for amendment