Mitchell, R. (1995). A glossary of terms in the Constitution of the United States. In CQ's guide to the U.S. Constitution. Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved August 19, 2005, from CQ Electronic Library, CQ Encyclopedia of American Government

A Glossary of Terms 
in the Constitution of the United States

Abridge To reduce, deprive, or cut off.
Adjourn To halt a meeting temporarily.
Admiralty Admiralty laws apply to shipping and disputes and offenses committed on the high seas; also to matters on public waters within the country, such as the Great Lakes.
Affirmation A solemn declaration that serves for those whose beliefs will not permit the swearing of an oath.
Alliance An agreement between two or more nations to come to the defense of any partner that is attacked.
Apportion To divide up or distribute in proportion to something. In this case, the larger the population of a state, the more representatives it has and the more taxes come from it.
Appropriations Money set aside by government for specific uses, such as military forces or highway construction.
Ascertain To obtain information.
Attainder Guilt. A bill of attainder is a law declaring someone guilty of an offense without a trial.
Bankruptcy Unable to pay one's debts. Bankruptcy laws provide a fair and orderly way to divide up the bankrupt person's remaining property among those to whom money is owed.
Bill Term that describes a proposal being discussed and debated in Congress. When it is passed and signed by the President, it becomes a law.
Bill of credit A kind of paper money issued by the states before the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution prohibited states from issuing them so that only Congress would have the power to coin money and regulate its value.
Capital crime An offense punishable by death.
Capitation tax A tax put directly upon each person. It takes the same amount from everyone, rich and poor.
Cession Giving up land to another government.
Commerce Buying, selling, and transporting goods and services between places, such as states.
Common law The body of laws that comes from court decisions of the past rather than from written laws. Common law was built up over centuries and represents our legal tradition. It extends back into British history.
Compulsory process A court's power to order a person to appear in court to testify. In the Sixth Amendment, this power may be used to guarantee that witnesses will testify in behalf of an accused person. The order is called a subpoena (suh-pee-nah).
Concurrence Agreement.
Confederation A group of independent states or nations united for mutual advantages but without giving up power to act independently.
Constitute To establish or bring into being.
Constitution The fundamental law of an organized group. It establishes its government system and the principles guiding its operation.
Construed Interpreted or understood to have a particular meaning.
Convene To bring together a group for the purpose of conducting a meeting.
Corruption of blood "Blood" here means members of a guilty person's family. Corruption of blood means making those family members share in the guilt.
Crime An offense against society in violation of public law and punishable mainly by death, imprisonment, or fine.
Devolve To pass authority to someone else. The authority to vote for president is passed to the House of Representatives.
Due process of law The precautions which the government must take to protect the lives, liberty, and property of individuals when the government is dealing with them.
Duty A tax on the value of goods shipped, most often, into a country.
Elector One who has authority to elect someone to an official position—either a citizen in public elections or one who is authorized in the electoral system to cast a vote for president.
Emolument A salary or fee.
Enumeration A list of right or powers.
Equity Fairness. Settling a dispute which cannot be covered by written laws. Each party states its side, and the court makes a judgment based on what is most reasonable and just.
Ex post facto law A law that makes something illegal and also provides punishment for those who did it before it was made illegal.
Excise A tax upon certain products, such as leather goods or jewelry.
Executive In government, the authority which carries out, or executes, the laws.
Felony A serious crime that is punished by a longer term of imprisonment than a misdemeanor.
Full faith and credit The recognition by each state of every other state's official proceedings. For example, one state recognizes the driver's license of an individual from another state as evidence that the person is a qualified driver.
Grand jury A special jury that decides whether there is enough criminal evidence against a person to formally charge him or her in court.
Grievance A complaint about something unjust that was done.
Habeas corpus A court order requiring authorities to bring into writ of court a person being held by them. The court will set a deadline after which the prisoner must either be charged with an offense and scheduled for court appearance, or be set free.
Imminent Threatening to happen very soon.
Immunities Freedom from, or protection against, unjust government action. The First Amendment freedoms are immunities.
Impeachment A formal accusation charging a government official with a crime or other serious wrongdoing.
Impost A tax, especially one paid on goods entering the country.
Inauguration The ceremony in which an individual is installed as president and receives the powers of the office.
Indictment A formal accusation of a serious crime which is voted by a grand jury.
Infamous Vicious, immoral, evil. A felony is an infamous crime.
Insurrection Armed uprising against authority, but not as organized and widespread as rebellion.
Involuntary servitude Forced labor, usually of prison inmates.
Jeopardy Danger or risk.
Judicial The function of judging cases that arise under the laws.
Jurisdiction Authority. The kinds of subjects and geographic area over which an official body has authority to make decisions and take action.
Legislative Having the function of making laws.
Maritime See "Admiralty."
Marque and reprisal Authorization to private shipowners to attack enemy vessels.
Militia A body of private citizens organized, trained, and prepared to carry out military activities, but only when called into service by government authorities in emergencies.
Misdemeanor A crime, less serious than a felony, that carries a shorter jail sentence, usually less than a year.
Naturalization The legal process by which an immigrant gets the same rights as a natural-born citizen.
Nobility A class of people with titles of rank, such as duke or baron, who formerly had special rights that the majority of people did not have.
Ordain To give authority.
Overt Open to view.
Petition To make a formal request.
Prejudice To unfairly influence the way a person thinks or feels about something.
Presentment A charge or accusation.
Probable cause Sufficient reason for investigators to believe that something or someone is in the place to be searched.
Pursuance "In pursuance thereof" means "in following the rules of" the Constitution.
Pro tempore A Latin phrase meaning "for the time being."
Quorum The smallest number of members who must be present for a group to make official decisions.
Ratification Approval.
Rebellion Open, organized, widespread efforts to overthrow the government. A more serious threat than an insurrection.
Redress To correct something that is unjust.
Reprieve A delay or postponement.
Requisite Required.
Revenue Funds collected by government so that it may carry out its functions.
Securities Stocks, which show a share of ownership in a business, or bonds, which show the amount of debt owed by a business or government to the holder or owner of the bond.
Service "Held to service" means slavery.
Succeed Taking over a position of authority after it has been vacated.
Taxes Required payments to government.
Tender The way of making payment along with the material itself (gold, silver, bills, etc.)
Tonnage A tax on boats based upon the number of tons of cargo they carry.
Treaty An official agreement between two or more nations.
Tribunal A court or other body which makes judgments.
Warrant An authorization issued by a judge.
Writs of election Orders to hold an election.
Yeas and nays Yes and no votes.

 
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