Constitutioner

See also: constitutioner

English

Etymology

From Constitution +‎ -er.

Noun

Constitutioner (plural Constitutioners)

1. (Oxford University, historical) A member of the Constitution Club, a reformist Whig society at Oxford in the 1710s.

   Alternative form: constitutioner

   • 1716 February 9, The Speech of a Member of the Constitution-Club at Oxford, Feb. 9 1715–16 […], published 1716, page 35:

     And when the Constitutioners shall lay open to publick view a full State of their Case, and appeal to the Reason of Mankind, they are perswaded that the Representation of an Oxford-shire Grand-jury will appear to have proceeded either from Mistake or Prejudice.

   • 1726, Nicholas Amhurst, Terræ-Filius: Or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford […], page 283:

     One of the proctors, in particular, had the modesty and good manners to tell the convocation, that the constitutioners were […] most vile wretches who were hated by gods and men.

   • 1874, Christopher Wordsworth, Social Life at the English Universities in the Eighteenth Century, page 43:

     A Brasenose man was wounded by a gunshot fired by one of the Constitutioners, or their friends in Oriel, after which the crowd retired to pull down the conventicles.

2. (US politics, historical) A member of the Constitution Party, a loosely organized far-right third party in the United States founded in 1952 and dissolved in the 1970s.
   • 1956 September 18, “Constitutioners: Party to Run O’Daniel’s Wife Instead”, in Fort Worth Star-Telegram, volume 76, number 231, Fort Worth, Tex., page 1:

     The Constitution Party of Texas Tuesday substituted Mrs. W. Lee O’Daniel in the place of her husband as their nominee for governor of Texas. [see title]

   • 1957 December 13, “'Constitutioner' Says Race Mixing Means Final War”, in The Fresno Bee, volume 68, number 12739, Fresno, Cal., page 13-A:

     William P. Gale, the Constitution Party’s candidate for governor of California, says it is mixture of the races which is leading the world to Armageddon […] [see title]

   • 1960 August 10, “Constitutioners Name Candidate”, in The Progress-Index, volume 96, number 38, Petersburg–Colonial Heights, Va., page 16:

     The Constitution Party Monday night named Charles Sullivan, 29, Clarksdale, Miss., attorney, as its presidential candidate. [see title]