unwritten constitution

noun

: a constitution not embodied in a single document but based chiefly on custom and precedent as expressed in statutes and judicial decisions

Examples of unwritten constitution in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Britain’s unwritten constitution does not have a clear rule for what happens if a prime minister becomes incapacitated or dies. — Danica Kirka, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Apr. 2020 But there is a greater imperative even than Charles' adherence to Britain's unwritten constitution. — Joseph Romm, CNN, 16 Sep. 2022 The divorce brought to power Boris Johnson, who tested Britain’s unwritten constitution. — Jill Lawless, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Dec. 2023 Until the American Revolution, most free countries in the world preferred an unwritten constitution of customs and norms established over time. — Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 26 Nov. 2020 Nineteenth-century Britons celebrated their unwritten constitution. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unwritten constitution was in 1890

Rhymes for unwritten constitution

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Browse Nearby Words

unwritten
unwritten constitution
unwritten law
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Cite this Entry

“Unwritten constitution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unwritten%20constitution. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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