constituency

noun

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

-ˈstich-, 

-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

The article maintains that Latino men are a decisive constituency whose votes could determine congressional and local races. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Opponents of the administration have wasted no time in calling out the tariffs’ impacts on their districts and constituencies, knowing that coming out against the duties is a winning stance. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

With striking speed, the widespread debate around data centers has become a fault line in American communities, cutting across political parties, splitting constituencies and forging unexpected alliances. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026

The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that dared to publicly criticize the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court, and only has a few dozen candidates in the single-constituency races. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see constitute

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing constituency

• multi-member 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