as in intrinsic
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
the proposition that liberty and justice are constitutive elements of an enlightened society
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Recent Examples of constitutive
What the poem’s constitutive range of modal verbs exemplify is a mode of poetic questioning.
—
Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Our back-and-forths with a chatbot, in turn, exteriorize our private, internal dialogues, which some consider constitutive of thought itself.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Our back-and-forths with a chatbot, in turn, exteriorize our private, internal dialogues, which some consider constitutive of thought itself.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
Adjective
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The deeper issue is that young fan base — Gen Z, Gen Alphas, and the Millennials to some degree — anime is just an intrinsic part of their personality.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
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The rye’s intrinsic black pepper, vanilla, oak, and maple notes shine through, but these are all augmented (and not overtaken) by the flavors from the finishing casks, making this a thoroughly engaging sipper.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The idea is to insulate yourself against the market’s inherent volatility, and to have sufficient cash to cover your expenses in a downturn.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Music directors Jordan Summers and Nick Vincent did a classic song that passes too quickly on record a great service by extending it by a few choruses, giving Valentine a chance to wring the emotion out of it that was only inherent in Zevon’s necessarily simpler delivery.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The 37-year-old veteran winger joined the Panthers at the trade deadline last season after spending his entire career to that point with the Boston Bruins and became an integral player in Florida repeating as Stanley Cup champions.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
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Growing for decades on the Russ family’s upstate property, the grand tree has been an integral part of the family’s milestones, but the longtime New Yorkers can’t wait to share its joy with the world.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This black turtleneck top is a layering essential that works equally well with maxi skirts and wide-leg jeans.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
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But fostering creativity, curiosity, and empathy are also essential for organizations to remain competitive and resilient.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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