original intent
Framers' intended meaning
Original intent is the meaning or purpose that framers had when drafting a law or constitution.
In American legal debate, it typically refers to what the Founders intended when writing the Constitution: Originalists argue we should interpret the Second Amendment according to original intent.
The concept is central to one school of constitutional interpretation, though critics question whether a single intent can be recovered from documents drafted by committee.
- purposeReason something exists
- foundingCreating an organization originally
- founding fathersMale originators of institutions
- framersThose who construct frames
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
true meaning · meaning · plain meaning · authorial · design · motive · interpretation · literal · letter of the law · spirit · aim · objective · drafters · ratification · historical · legislative · purity · authentic
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Fourth Amendment
- ConstitutionBill of Rights, preamble, articles, U.S. Constitution, Article I
- legal interpretationoriginalism, plain meaning, textualism, historical interpretation, literal interpretation
- conservationconservation, wildlife, endangered, habitat, sanctuary
- nationalismpatriotism, national pride, national sovereignty, national identity, national symbols
- Supreme Courtchief justice, associate justices, justices, certiorari, oral arguments
original intentjudicial activism
Broad court interpretation philosophy
original, intent, originally, originality, originate, originating, originated, origination, originator