The term constitution comes through French from the Latin word constitutio, used for regulations and orders, such as the imperialenactments (constitutiones principis: edicta, mandata, decreta, rescripta). Later, the term

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Generally, every modern written constitution confers specific powers on an organization or institutional entity, established upon the

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Since 1789, along with the Constitution of the United States of America(U.S. Constitution), which is the oldest and shortest written constitution still in force, close to 800 constitutions have been adopted and subsequently amended around the world by

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Most commonly, the term constitution refers to a set of rules and principles that define the nature and extent of government. Most

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Constitutions are often, but by no means always, protected by a legal body whose job it is to interpret those constitutions and, where applicable, declare void executive and legislative

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• Basic law, equivalent in some countries, often for a temporary constitution
• Apostolic constitution (a class of Catholic Church documents)
• Consent of the governed

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After tribal people first began to live in cities and establish nations, many of these functioned according to unwritten customs, while some developed autocratic, even tyrannical

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