constituency
Americannoun
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a body of constituents; the voters or residents in a district represented by an elective officer.
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the district itself.
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any body of supporters, customers, etc.; clientele.
noun
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the whole body of voters who elect one representative to a legislature or all the residents represented by one deputy
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a district that sends one representative to a legislature
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( as modifier )
constituency organization
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Etymology
Origin of constituency
First recorded in 1825–35; constitu(ent) + -ency
Explanation
If you're an elected official, your constituency is the group of people whose interests you were elected to represent. A constituency can be described in general as the population living in a district, state, or region, but it can also be any smaller section of that population, such as individuals or small groups advocating for specific issues. Your "main constituency" usually refers to the people whose needs you feel most strongly about, or the people who are most loyal to you.
Vocabulary lists containing constituency
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Legislative Branch, Sections 1–3
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This Week In Words: December 7-13, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although the constituency is in Greater Manchester, many people there still consider themselves Lancastrians, including Margaret Atherton, who has lived in Ashton-in-Makerfield for almost 70 years.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Roy Behr, a veteran political consultant in the city, said Roy and McKinney have clear brands and target audiences, whereas Feldstein Soto may now be a candidate without a constituency.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Sir Gavin last shared an update on Cronus in September, when he wrote that the spider was "living a good retirement in Staffordshire", where the MP's constituency is located.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The Wigan-born councillor, who represents Hazel Grove in Stockport, will stand in the contest in the Greater Manchester constituency on Thursday 18 June.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The largest unmentioned and presumably excluded constituency was the black population, about 90 percent of which was enslaved.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
