originalism

[ uh-rij-uh-nl-iz-uhm ]

nounLaw.
  1. the doctrine that a legal document or statute should be interpreted by determining its original meaning, or how it would have been understood by informed readers when it was first written.

  2. the doctrine that a legal document or statute should be interpreted according to the actual or supposed intent of the author or authors, taking into consideration the historical context.

  1. either of these doctrines in reference to legal interpretations of a constitution, especially the U.S. Constitution: Judges who disagree with judicial activism, such as Justice Antonin Scalia, tend to embrace originalism.

Origin of originalism

1
First recorded in 1980–85; original + -ism

Other words from originalism

  • o·rig·in·al·ist, noun, adjective

Words Nearby originalism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use originalism in a sentence