constitute
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to compose; form.
mortar constituted of lime and sand.
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to appoint to an office or function; make or create.
He was constituted treasurer.
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to establish (laws, an institution, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- commission, institute
-
to give legal form to (an assembly, court, etc.).
-
to create or be tantamount to.
Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.
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Archaic. to set or place.
verb
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to make up; form; compose
the people who constitute a jury
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to appoint to an office or function
a legally constituted officer
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to set up (a school or other institution) formally; found
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law to give legal form to (a court, assembly, etc)
-
obsolete law to set up or enact (a law)
Other Word Forms
- constituter noun
- constitutor noun
- nonconstituted adjective
- preconstitute verb (used with object)
- self-constituted adjective
- self-constituting adjective
- unconstituted adjective
- well-constituted adjective
Etymology
Origin of constitute
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin constitūtus, past participle of constituere “to set up, found”; constituent
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.
Premier David Eby granted Aboriginal title of Haida Gwaii—formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands—on the West Coast to the Haida Nation, who constitute only about half the archipelago’s population.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
It does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial advice.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
But was it so outrageous as to constitute a violation of his oath?
From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026
He remains under police investigation, but last week his lawyers said his passport had been returned by the Metropolitan Police, adding that he did not constitute a flight risk.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
The Fish and Wildlife Service has found it necessary to express serious concern over this trend, pointing out that “parathion treated areas constitute a potential hazard to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.”
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
