immediate constituent

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. one of the usually two largest constituents of a construction: The immediate constituents of He ate his dinner are he and ate his dinner; of ate his dinner are ate and his dinner; etc. IC

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immediate constituent British  

noun

1. a constituent of a linguistic construction at the first step in an analysis; for example, the immediate constituents of a sentence are the subject and the predicate

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Etymology

Origin of immediate constituent

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Some opponents question whether resources would be better directed toward immediate constituent needs such as healthcare, housing, and living costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025

Hartley's analysis of the moral sense is a great advance upon Hobbes and Mandeville, who make self-love the immediate constituent, instead of a remote cause, of conscience.

From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander