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term:
Original Intent
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original intent n
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1 : the actual aim or purpose esp. of the framers of the U.S. Constitution
2 : a conservative theory in constitutional law: only those guarantees intended by the framers and set forth in the text of the Constitution are valid compare judicial restraint
Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.