Constitutional Amendments

• To many Americans, this is the most familiar usage of the word amendments. The U.S. Constitution is the foundation of American law, but it can be amended, that is, altered or added to, if the amendment is approved by a two-thirds majority in both houses of the legislature.
  
  

Other Legal Amendments

• "Amendments" often refers to a change made in or an addition made to other legal documents, such as legislative bills, court motions or the constitutions of organizations other than the government.
  
  

Soil Amendments

• In farming and gardening, you'll hear the word amendments used to refer to additives such as sand or fertilizer that can be mixed with the soil to produce better crops. Soil amendments work by altering the soil's density, pH and ability to hold moisture.
  
  

General

• Other possible meanings for the word amendment are varied and wide-ranging. It can be used to describe any change made to improve something. In addition to amending documents or poor soil, you could make amendments to bad behavior, an incorrect opinion or statement or a tense or estranged relationship with someone else.