constituent

American  

[kuhn-stich-oo-uhnt] / kənˈstɪtʃ u ənt /

adjective

1. serving to compose or make up a thing; component.

   the constituent parts of a motor.

2. having power to frame or alter a political constitution or fundamental law, as distinguished from lawmaking power.

   a constituent assembly.

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noun

1. an element, material, etc. that is part of something else; component.

2. a person who authorizes another to act on their behalf, such as a voter in a district represented by an elected official.

3. Grammar. an element considered as part of a construction.

constituent British  

/ kənˈstɪtjʊənt /

adjective

1. forming part of a whole; component

2. having the power to frame a constitution or to constitute a government (esp in the phrases constituent assembly, constituent power )

3. rare electing or having the power to elect

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noun

1. a component part; ingredient

2. a resident of a constituency, esp one entitled to vote

3. law a person who appoints another to act for him, as by power of attorney

4. linguistics a word, phrase, or clause forming a part of a larger construction Compare immediate constituent ultimate constituent

Related Words

See element.

Other Word Forms

• constituently
  adverb
• nonconstituent
  adjective
• preconstituent
  noun

Etymology

Origin of constituent

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin constituent- (stem of constituēns, present participle of constituere “to set up, found, constitute),” equivalent to con- con- + -stitu- (combining form of statuere “to set up”) + -ent- -ent

Explanation

Constituent means "part of a whole." The word comes up often in political contexts: constituents are the people politicians have been elected to represent. Elected officials should stay in touch with the needs of their constituents. To understand constituent, look at constitute, which means "to make up." The words share the Latin root constituentem, meaning "to compose," as in a part that makes up a larger whole. A politician's electorate is made of individual constituent voters. Although it’s often used to refer to voters, you can also say that a car motor, for example, is made of constituent parts. Constituent can be a noun or adjective.

Example Sentences

Time magazine reported that Indian leaders had gathered in the Constituent Assembly Hall an hour before midnight.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

“It meant a lot to people who live in the area. Constituent service means a lot.”

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2024

His mother, Ariadna Chernova, was the daughter of Viktor Chernov, a socialist revolutionary who fleetingly served as president of Russia's Constituent Assembly in 1918, before it was dispersed by the Bolsheviks.

From Reuters • Jul. 26, 2023

Every Thursday, vendors set up in the courtyard and nearby sidewalk of the Central Avenue Constituent Services Center.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2023

In 1836 Graham's paper on "Water as a Constituent of Salts" was published in the "Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh."

From Heroes of Science Chemists by Muir, M. M. Pattison (Matthew Moncrieff Pattison)