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

Yabloko, the only registered political entity that dared to criticize Russia's war with Ukraine, 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, 19 Sep. 2026

That means if a trade war squeezes household spending, disrupts supply chains or generates ill will among local constituencies, there’s a chance the NHL (and at least 10 clubs) feels the pinch. — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Both parties emerged from the progressive era as messy coalitions of diverse constituencies and interests, not uniform ideologies. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Tagliabue, who died in November, had a strong working relationship with NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw, whose constituency strongly favored pausing the action to assess the situation. — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 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