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First Amendment to the United States Constitution

First Amendment to the United States Constitution

1 3.3
A law that protects freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petition
  • noun
  • Formal
translation icon : Primera Enmienda a la Constitución de los Estados Unidos
  • Many important court cases have cited the First Amendment to the United States Constitution when addressing issues of press freedom.

Examples

  • The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that Congress shall not prohibit the free exercise of religion.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right to free speech for all citizens.

  • This is because the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects free speech.

    Blog text (9)

  • This phrase was later embodied in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    Academic text (1991)

  • "... the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution does not require any such absolute restrictions on the use of public funds..."

    Blog text (18)

  • "Except to the extent required by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, neither the government nor any agent of the government may deny to any individual or entity the benefits of any program, funding, or other support on the basis of religious identity or belief."

    Blog text (18)

  • While some may see a victory over Bible verses on banners as trivial, I see this as a monumental decision in favor of the original intent of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    Blog text (21)

  • It is contended that the ID Policy constitutes an establishment of religion prohibited by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

    Blog text (9)

  • This article will focus on the major legal issue that has been raised against the inclusion of sectarian schools in educational choice programs—namely, whether the public funding of choice programs that include sectarian schools as one option for participating students is constitutional under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The First Amendment to the United States Constitution allows people to practice their religion freely without government interference.

Synonyms

First Amendment
vsFirst Amendment to the United States Constitution
  • US
116 4.0

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition

is the full formal title of the same constitutional guarantee

Surface Forms

First Amendment to the United States Constitution singular
First Amendments to the United States Constitution plural

Morphology

first + amendment + to + the + united + state + Constitution

The phrase is compositionally built from its parts: 'first' (ordinal) + 'amendment' (a modification) + 'to the United States Constitution' (the foundational legal document), so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to the first formal change/addition to the U.S. Constitution. The exact catalogue of rights protected (speech, religion, press, assembly, petition) is specialized legal knowledge, but the referential meaning of the expression is transparent and follows a common cross‑linguistic pattern.

Etymology

First Amendment to the United States Constitution was added after the new U.S. government began because people were worried it might limit basic freedoms. It lists five key rights—speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petition—so people can speak, worship, publish, meet, and ask the government for change, and that's why people today cite it to protect 'freedom of speech' and other rights.