constitute

American  

[kon-sti-toot, -tyoot] / ˈkɒn stɪˌtut, -ˌtyut /

verb (used with object)

constituted, constituting

1. to compose; form.

   mortar constituted of lime and sand.

2. to appoint to an office or function; make or create.

   He was constituted treasurer.

3. to establish (laws, an institution, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   commission, institute

4. to give legal form to (an assembly, court, etc.).

5. to create or be tantamount to.

   Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.

6. Archaic. to set or place.

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constitute British  

/ ˈkɒnstɪˌtjuːt /

verb

1. to make up; form; compose

   the people who constitute a jury

2. to appoint to an office or function

   a legally constituted officer

3. to set up (a school or other institution) formally; found

4. law to give legal form to (a court, assembly, etc)

5. obsolete law to set up or enact (a law)

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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”; see constituent

Explanation

To constitute is to make up a whole from smaller parts, or "constituents." "What constitutes a family?" means "What makes up a family?" Parents, kids, pets, and other family members constitute most people's idea of a family. The Constitution tells us what our country is all about and supposed to be made of — in other words, what constitutes the United States. This word can deal with the present or the future. The items listed in a recipe constitute what will be in a cake; later, the individual ingredients constitute the cake. Eleven players constitute a football team on the field. We can even say that abstract qualities are constituted. For example, some people think wearing sunglasses constitutes coolness. Since everything in the world is made up of other things, there's a lot of constituting going on.

Example Sentences

But featuring someone in a demeaning way without permission "may constitute an infringement of both portrait rights and reputation rights", said Li's lawyer Yijie Zhao, from Henan Huailv Law Firm.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Over the course of the 17-day rally, the chip sector’s biggest gainers constitute a diversified group.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

Submitting a false affidavit could constitute perjury, officials say.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

But even taken all together, do they constitute an existential threat to the contiguous United States or our interests abroad?

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

They constitute 6 of the modern world’s 12 major crops.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• create
• establish