Simone Lawson
Knowing how to cite a country's constitution in MLA format is crucial for students and academics in the humanities, especially in languages and literature. When referencing the United States Constitution, for example, citing it in MLA format follows the guidelines set by the Modern Language Association. This involves treating the document like any other source written by an organization, recording the name as presented by the source. For instance, in the body of the text, one should always capitalize the C in Constitution and specify the version cited. In the case of a named edition, it should be treated like the title of a book.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| In-text citation | Use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. Use "art." for Article, "amend." for Amendment, and "sec." for Section. Convert Roman numerals to Arabic numerals. |
| Country of origin | Specify the country of origin if the title does not indicate what country the constitution belongs to. |
| Title | Capitalize the "C" in Constitution when referring to it in the body of the text. |
| Named edition | Treat the Constitution like the title of a book. Include the name of the edition in your in-text citations to help readers locate the exact entry in the Works Cited. |
| Works Cited entry | Include the title of the document, the article and section being referenced, and the publication details. |
| Citing government documents | Treat government documents "just like any other source written by an organization" by recording the name as presented by the source. |
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What You'll Learn
Citing a print version of a constitution
Use the abbreviations "Art." (Article), "Amend." (Amendment), and "Sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations and convert any Roman numerals to Arabic numerals (e.g., "XIV" becomes "14"). For the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. The country of origin should be specified if the title does not indicate what country the constitution belongs to, for example, "France. Le Constitution. 4 October 1958. Legifrance, www.legifrance.gouv.fr/Droit-francais/Constitution/Constitution-du-4-octobre-1958".
For the Works Cited entry, the citation should include the title of the document ("Constitution"), the article and section being referenced, and the publication details. If you are citing a federal constitution, use "U.S." or the abbreviated name of the state, followed by "art." for Article, "amend." for Amendment, and "sec." for Section. For example, "U.S. Const. art. I, §9, cl.2" or "Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV".
If you are citing a print book version of the constitution, write the title of the book in italics and list any editors, annotators, or other main contributors to the edition after the title. Treat the constitution like any other source written by an organisation by recording the name as presented by the source.
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Citing a country's constitution in the body of the text
When citing the US Constitution in the body of the text, use "U.S." or the abbreviation of the state name, followed by "Const." and the article, amendment, and section numbers. For example, "The right to freedom of assembly is guaranteed by the Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV." Note that any Roman numerals in the original text should be converted to Arabic numerals.
When citing the UK Constitution in the body of the text, it is essential to include the title of the document, the article or amendment number, the section number, and the clause number if applicable. For example, "Bill of Rights 1689, sec. 1, The National Archives, 1689."
It is worth noting that some teachers may require students to cite the Constitution in footnotes and endnotes instead of in-text citations. In this case, follow the format: Title of Document, section or article number, Publisher, Year.
When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, you can generally just call it "the Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks. However, when providing in-text citations, specify the version cited to match the first words of the Works Cited entry.
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MLA citation style and emphasis
The Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style is widely used in humanities subjects and places emphasis on the authorship of the work. When citing a country's constitution in MLA format, the following guidelines should be followed:
Referencing the Constitution in Text
When referencing the United States Constitution in academic writing, it is common to refer to it as “the Constitution” in the body of your text, with the ""C" capitalised. When mentioning the Constitution in this general sense, you do not need to cite it. However, if you are referring to a specific edition, treat it as you would a book title and include the title and case details, such as "The Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries".
In-Text Citations
For in-text citations, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers. For example: ("Constitution of the United States," art. 1, sec. 4). Use the abbreviations “art.” (Article), “amend.” (Amendment), and “sec.” (Section) as appropriate. Convert any Roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals (e.g., “XIV” becomes “14”).
Works Cited Entry
For the works cited entry, include the title of the document ("The Constitution"), the article and section being referenced, and the publication details. If citing an online version, include information about where you accessed it. If citing a print version, use the basic form: Abbreviated name of the constitution, followed by the article number in Roman numerals, the section number, and then any other relevant details. For example:
> U.S. Const. art. I, § 9, cl. 2
> Mass. Const. art. IX, pt. IV
For state constitutions, cite by the abbreviated name of the state, as shown above.
Citing Government Documents
In the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook, the recommendation is to treat government documents like any other source written by an organisation. Record the name as presented by the source. For student papers, the publisher can be shortened to the name of the government and the primary agency only.
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Citing a named edition of a constitution
When citing a named edition of a country's constitution in MLA style, there are a few key elements to include. Firstly, the title of the constitution should be provided, followed by the edition information if it is not the first edition. Here is an example of how to cite a named edition of the Constitution of the United States:
"Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries"
In this example, "with Case Summaries" indicates that it is a named edition. If you are referencing a specific article, amendment, or section within the constitution, use abbreviations such as "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section). For instance:
"Constitution of the United States, with Case Summaries" (art. 1, sec. 4)
It is important to specify the country of origin in your citation if the title does not indicate the country to which the constitution belongs. For instance, when citing the French Constitution, you would include "France" before the title:
France. "Le Constitution."
Additionally, when citing a specific edition of a constitution published in book form, treat it like any other book citation in MLA style. Italicize the title and include any editors or contributors. Here's an example:
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription, edited by John Doe, Jane Smith, etc.
Remember to include information about where you accessed the constitution, such as the URL or database, especially when citing online sources. Also, if the constitution has multiple editions, be sure to specify the version you are citing in your parenthetical citation.
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Citing a country's constitution in a Works Cited list
Firstly, it is important to note that the country of origin should be specified, especially if the title does not make it clear. For example, the citation for the US Constitution would be formatted as follows: "Constitution of the United States." If citing the French Constitution, the title would be "France. Le Constitution."
When citing a print version of a country's constitution, the "C" in "Constitution" should always be capitalized. The citation should include the title of the document, the article and section being referenced, and the publication details. In-text citations should include article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers, for example: "Constitution of the United States" (art. 1, sec. 4). Any Roman numerals should be converted to Arabic numerals, so "XIV" becomes "14."
If you are citing an online version of a country's constitution, include information about where you accessed it. The basic format for an online citation is as follows: Author. "Title of Document: Subtitle if Given." Edition if given and is not first edition, Name of Government Primary Agency, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited.
For example, a citation for the US Constitution might look like this: "United States. Constitution of the United States: with Case Summaries." U.S. Government Publishing Office, 1787. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GPO-CONAN. Accessed 12 May 2025.
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Frequently asked questions
The MLA citation style is used for humanities subjects and places emphasis on the authorship of the work. When referencing a country's constitution, you should include the title of the document, the article and section being referenced, and the publication details.
When referring to a print version of a country's constitution in the body of your text, you should always capitalise the "C" in Constitution. For example, "As noted in the Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 8), Congress has the power to regulate commerce". Use the abbreviations "art." (Article), "amend." (Amendment), and "sec." (Section) as appropriate in your citations.
To cite an online version of a country's constitution, include information about where you accessed it in the Works Cited entry. In the in-text citation, use article/amendment and section numbers instead of page numbers.
If the title of the constitution does not indicate the country, specify the country of origin in your citation. For example, "France. Le Constitution. 4 October 1958. Legifrance, www.legifrance.gouv.fr/Droit-francais/Constitution/Constitution-du-4-octobre-1958."
