constituency

noun

con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈstich-wən(t)-sē 

-ˈsti-chə-,

-ˈsti-chü-ən(t)-

plural constituencies

1

a

: a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative (as to a legislative or executive position)

the governor's liberal constituency

b

: the residents in an electoral district

The senator's constituency includes a large minority population.

c

: an electoral district

2

a

: a group or body that patronizes, supports, or offers representation

creating … a grass-roots constituency for continuing the project

—Fred Reed

b

: the people involved in or served by an organization (such as a business or institution)

… regards its corporate customers as its prime constituency.

—Andrew Hacker

Examples of constituency in a Sentence

The senator's constituency includes a large minority population.

He was elected to represent a Liverpool constituency.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a post-debate interview, Levy, the Texas AFL-CIO president, said that by agreeing to the three-way faceoff, the candidates recognized labor’s importance to the Texas Democratic constituency. —Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Trump made astonishing gains with racial minorities, underscored by his support among Latinos, which only 8 years ago represented a key component of the Democratic constituency. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024

But a realignment among Latino voters – and some Black voters in key swing states − helped catapult Trump to his election victory by expanding his support and peeling off voters from two core Democratic constituencies. —Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 6 Nov. 2024

Its ability to bridge divides and appeal to diverse constituencies positions digital assets as an influential issue for American voters. —Tonya Evans, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see constitute

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing constituency

• multimember constituency
• single-member constituency

Kids Definition

constituency

noun

con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈstich-(ə-)wən-sē 

plural constituencies

1

: a body of citizens having the right to elect a representative to a legislature

2

: the people living in an electoral district

3

: an electoral district

Legal Definition

constituency

noun

con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈsti-chə-wən-sē 

plural constituencies

1

: a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative (as to a legislative or executive office)

2

: the residents in an electoral district

3

: an electoral district