originalism

noun/əˈrɪdʒɪnəlɪzəm/

Frequency rank: #19,845 most common English word

Meaning

A legal philosophy that interprets a text, especially a constitution, according to its meaning at the time it was written.

Illustration for the English word “originalism”

Example sentence

The judge's ruling was guided by originalism, which interprets the Constitution based on its original meaning.

Synonyms & related words

  • textualism
  • traditionalism

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