Unconstitutional

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Unconstitutional \Un*con`sti*tu"tion*al\, a.
     Not constitutional; not according to, or consistent with, the
     terms of a constitution of government; contrary to the
     constitution; as, an unconstitutional law, or act of an
     officer. --Burke. -- {Un*con`sti*tu"tion*al"i*ty}, n. --
     {Un*con`sti*tu"tion*al-ly}, adv.


     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  unconstitutional
       adj : not consistent with or according to a constitution; contrary
             to the U.S. Constitution [ant: {constitutional}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  37 Moby Thesaurus words for "unconstitutional":
     actionable, against the law, anarchic, anarchistic, anomic,
     black-market, bootleg, chargeable, contraband, contrary to law,
     criminal, felonious, flawed, illegal, illegitimate, illicit,
     impermissible, irregular, justiciable, lawless, nonconstitutional,
     nonlegal, nonlicit, outlaw, outlawed, punishable, triable,
     unallowed, unauthorized, under-the-counter, under-the-table,
     unlawful, unofficial, unstatutory, unwarrantable, unwarranted,
     wrongful
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  UNCONSTITUTIONAL. That which is contrary to the constitution. 
       2. When an act of the legislature is repugnant or contrary to the 
  constitution, it is, ipso facto, void. 2 Pet. R. 522; 12 Wheat. 270; 3 Dall. 
  286; 4 Dall. 18. 
       3. The courts have the power, and it is their duty, when an act is 
  unconstitutional, to declare it to be so; but this will not be done except 
  in a clear case and, as an additional guard against error, the supreme court 
  of the United States refuses to take up a case involving constitutional 
  questions, when the court is not full. 9 Pet. 85. Vide 6 Cranch, 128; 1 
  Binn. 419; 5 Binn. 355; 2 Penna 184; 3 S. & R. 169; 7 Pick. 466; 13 Pick. 
  60; 2 Yeates, 493; 1 Virg. Cas. 20; 1 Blackf. 206 6 Rand. 245 1 Murph. 58; 
  Harper, 385 1 Breese, 209 Pr. Dee. 64, 89; 1 Rep. Cons. Ct. 267 1 Car. Law 
  Repos. 246 4 Munr. 43; 5 Hayw. 271; 1 Cowen, 550; 1 South. 192; 2 South. 
  466; 7 N H. Rep. 65, 66; 1 Chip, 237, 257; 10 Conn. 522; 7 Gill & John. 7; 2 
  Litt. 90; 3 Desaus. 476.