unconstitutionally
Meaning
in a way that is not in accordance with the constitution of a country or organization
Structure
Usage
the court ruled that the law was applied unconstitutionally.
the president's action was deemed unconstitutionally to seize power.
they argued that their rights had been unconstitutionally violated.
Etymology
the word unconstitutionally is a modern english formation built upon the noun constitution, which entered english from old french and ultimately latin 'constitutionem,' meaning an ordinance or arrangement. the latin root 'constituere' (com- "together" + statuere "to set, place") carries the core idea of establishing a system. the negative prefix 'un-' of germanic origin was attached to the adjective 'constitutional' to create its opposite. finally, the adverbial suffix '-ally' was appended, following the pattern of adjectives ending in '-al,' to describe an action performed in a manner contrary to a constitution. thus, the term's logic traces a clear path from the ancient concept of "setting things together" to the modern abstract principle of fundamental law, and then to the negation and adverbial qualification of actions relative to that law.
Analysis
un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. constitution: from latin 'constitutio' (act of setting up, arrangement), itself from 'constituere' (to set up, establish). in this compound, it functions as the core noun denoting the fundamental law. ally: a suffix derived from latin '-aliter' (via old french '-el'), forming adverbs meaning "in a manner of."