It Depends
When to Capitalize "Constitution"
"Constitution" follows the standard rule for document titles: capitalize it when it names a specific formal document, lowercase it when it describes a type of document.
In American writing, the U.S. Constitution gets special treatment. AP style capitalizes it even without the "U.S." in front – The senator quoted the Constitution – because readers know exactly which document is meant. Chicago style agrees: the Constitution of the United States, the U.S. Constitution, and the shorthand the Constitution are all capitalized.
For other constitutions, capitalization depends on whether the name is attached. Write the French Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution – but the nation's constitution, the state constitution, and the organization's constitution stay lowercase, because those phrases describe rather than name.
Quick Rules
Capitalize when
- The U.S. Constitution, with or without the modifier: She cited the Constitution.
- Another nation's or state's constitution named directly: the French Constitution, the Texas Constitution.
- Formal document titles: the Constitution of the United States.
- Specific amendments: the First Amendment, the 14th Amendment.
Keep lowercase when
- Generic references: the state constitution, the nation's constitution.
- Organizations and clubs: the union's constitution, our chess club's constitution.
- The adjective, always: constitutional law, unconstitutional.
- Generic amendments: a constitutional amendment, several amendments.
Tip: If you could put the phrase on the document's cover page as its title, capitalize it. If it just describes what kind of document it is, lowercase.
AP Style vs. Chicago Style
The two big guides agree on the essentials here – both capitalize the U.S. Constitution with or without the modifier, both capitalize named amendments, and both lowercase "constitutional" in every position.
The practical difference is in how amendments are numbered. AP spells out First through Ninth and switches to numerals from 10 up: the First Amendment, the 14th Amendment. Chicago spells out numbers through one hundred: the Fourteenth Amendment.
One shared trap: "constitutional" never inherits the capital from "Constitution." Even in phrases tied directly to the U.S. document – constitutional convention, constitutional scholar, constitutional rights – the adjective is lowercase in both guides.
Examples
✓ Do
- The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution.
- The First Amendment protects freedom of speech.
- Delegates drafted the Massachusetts Constitution in 1779.
- The bylaws function as the club's constitution.
✗ Do not
The law was ruled unconstitutional under the constitution.
Reference to the U.S. Constitution – capitalize: under the Constitution. ("Unconstitutional" is correctly lowercase.)
Every member received a copy of the club's Constitution.
An organization's governing document is a generic reference – lowercase: the club's constitution.
The court cited the first amendment.
Named amendments are capitalized: the First Amendment.
Edge Cases Worth Knowing
Most mistakes with "constitution" come from over-capitalizing – writers see a legal context and reach for the capital letter. These are the boundaries.
- Standalone references to other countries' constitutions. With the country name, capitalize: the French Constitution. Without it, lowercase: France adopted a new constitution in 1958.
- "Constitutional" never takes a capital – not in constitutional convention, constitutional law, or constitutional amendment. The adjective is always lowercase, even right next to a capitalized "Constitution."
- Amendment numbers follow your style guide. AP: First through Ninth spelled out, numerals from the 10th Amendment on. Chicago: spelled out through one hundred – the Fourteenth Amendment.
- Historical documents follow the same title rule: the Articles of Confederation, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence are all capitalized as formal document names.
Frequently Asked Questions
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About Oleh Kovalenko
Oleh Kovalenko develops practical capitalization guidance for editorial and SEO workflows, with a focus on consistent rule application.
