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

Example Sentences

When elected officials reached out to a few respondents to verify the messages, some constituents stated they had no knowledge of the emails sent under their names.

From Los Angeles Times

An MP says she is suspending face-to-face meetings with constituents following three security incidents in the last three weeks.

From BBC

“This project does not exist in isolation; it impacts real neighborhoods, families and schools and is also setting a precedent for how you treat your constituents,” said Gina Snow, who lives near the proposed site.

From Los Angeles Times

Lainez and De La Rosa urged their constituents to pass the measure this summer.

From Los Angeles Times

"David was a dedicated MP who always did his utmost to help people and was respected by so many constituents for the work he did," he wrote on Facebook.

From BBC