constitutionnel

Constitutionnel is a French term meaning relating to a constitution or to constitutional law. In legal and political contexts it is used to describe norms, institutions, and processes that derive from a constitution, or that are protected or mandated by it. In law, the field is called droit constitutionnel, focusing on the organization of state powers, fundamental rights, and the mechanisms for constitutional change. A constitutional framework typically establishes the separation of powers, guarantees civil rights, and defines how laws are enacted or amended.

In broader usage, the term appears in related languages with similar meanings: Spanish constitución/constitucional, Italian Costituzionale, Portuguese constitucional, all sharing the same Latin root constitutio. The English equivalent is constitutional. Common phrases include constitutional amendment, constitutional court, constitutional rights, constitutional monarchy, constitutional crisis, and constitutional reform.

Historically, constitutionalism arose with modern states whose legitimacy rests on written or unwritten constitutions rather than on monarchic prerogatives. The concept is tied to the rule of law and the limitation of governmental power. In comparative law, constitutional norms vary on issues such as judicial review, the scope of executive power, and whether systems are federal or unitary.

The term does not denote a specific institution by itself, but a category of legal and political content. In translation, constitutionnel is rendered as constitutional in English, or as the language-specific equivalent in French, Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese contexts.