amendment

The word “amendment” means a formal change made to a law, bill, or constitution. In plain terms, a formal correction or addition, often used for laws and legal documents.

“Amendment” is pronounced uh-MEHND-muhnt (/əˈmɛndmənt/ in IPA).

Here is “amendment” used in a sentence: “The senator introduced an amendment to close the tax loophole.”

“Amendment” is a noun.

The word “amendment” comes from French. From French amendement, built on the same root as "amend.".

“Amendment” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Amendment” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a formal change made to a law, bill, or constitution.

An amendment is a formal change or addition made to a specific part of a law, bill, contract, or piece of writing, leaving the rest of the document intact. A revision usually implies a broader reworking of the whole text. Use "amendment" when a single clause or provision is altered, and "revision" when the document is substantially rewritten.

"Amendment to" is the standard collocation when a change is made to a document: "an amendment to the constitution." "Amendment of" is also grammatical but appears more often in formal legal drafting, as in "the amendment of section 3." In everyday writing, "amendment to" is the safer choice.

An amendment changes existing wording in a law, agreement, or text, while an addendum adds new material to the end of a document without altering what is already there. If a clause in a contract is rewritten, that is an amendment; if extra terms are attached after signing, that is an addendum.

No. Although amendment most often describes a formal change to a law, bill, or constitution, it also refers to any change or addition made to improve a piece of writing or an agreement. An editor may make amendments to a manuscript, for example.