Legal Definitions - Ninth Amendment

The Ninth Amendment is a part of the United States Constitution that was ratified with the Bill of Rights in 1791. It states that the rights listed in the Constitution should not be interpreted in a way that denies or belittles other rights that are not listed, but are still retained by the people.

For example, the Constitution does not specifically mention the right to privacy, but the Ninth Amendment implies that such a right exists and should be protected. Similarly, the right to marry, the right to travel, and the right to raise children are not explicitly listed in the Constitution, but are considered to be protected by the Ninth Amendment.

The Ninth Amendment is important because it recognizes that the Constitution cannot possibly list every right that people have, and that there are many other rights that are just as important and should be protected. It ensures that the government cannot use the fact that a right is not specifically listed in the Constitution as an excuse to deny or restrict that right.