constitute

verb

con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌtüt 

-ˌtyüt

constituted; constituting

transitive verb

1

: make up, form, compose

12 months constitute a year.

… high school dropouts who constitute a major problem in large city slums.

—J. B. Conant

2

: set up, establish: such as

a

: enact

regulations as are constituted by the government

b

: found

constitute a provisional government

c(1)

: to give due or lawful form to

an agreement constituted by writing

(2)

: to legally process

3

: to appoint to an office, function, or dignity

Legal authority constitutes all magistrates.

Synonyms

• comprise
• compose

Examples of constitute in a Sentence

Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college.

nine players constitute a baseball team

Recent Examples on the Web

Even if a team became less willing to guarantee money, that, by itself, would not constitute collusion, since the team would be acting on its own. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Have a Project One of the absolute joys of long-distance backpacking is silence, or an escape from the onslaught of incessant inputs that constitute modern life. —Grayson Haver Currin, Outside, 2 Sep. 2025

Legally, there is no clear definition of what constitutes an emergency under the 1976 National Emergency Act—it is left to the discretion of the president. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

For Brasília, Beijing constitutes an indispensable strategic partner, but Washington, even after its recent aggressions, remains an irreplaceable global power. —Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin constitutus, past participle of constituere to set up, constitute, from com- + statuere to set — more at statute

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for constitute

• absolute
• arrowroot
• attribute
• bitterroot
• convolute
• destitute
• disrepute
• dissolute
• execute
• institute
• involute
• kiwifruit

Kids Definition

constitute

verb

con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌt(y)üt 

constituted; constituting

1

: to appoint to an office or duty

constituted authorities

2

: set up sense 4, establish

a fund was constituted to help needy students

3

: make up sense 2, form

twelve months constitute a year

Legal Definition

constitute

transitive verb

con·​sti·​tute ˈkän-stə-ˌtüt, -ˌtyüt 

1

: to appoint to an office or function

those who are constituted heirs or named legatees

—Louisiana Civil Code

legal authority constitutes all magistrates

2

: establish, found

to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court

—U.S. Constitution art. I

3

a

: to put (as an agreement) into required form

b

: to qualify as

a letter can constitute a will

—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

failure to act may constitute negligence

c

: to form the substance or whole of

the bonds constituted the entire estate