constitute

verb

con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌtüt How to pronounce constitute (audio)
-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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nothing provided on this site constitutes tax advice. Andrew Rosen, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024 All that fuel, burned up by all those miles driven, made lead pervasive in the air and soil and constituted the single largest exposure source of lead for more than a generation. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024 The company remains dependent on its relationships with major federal customers, which constitute a significant portion of its revenue. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 4 Dec. 2024 What constitutes a violation of the UN Genocide Convention? Nada Bashir, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for constitute 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of constitute was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near constitute

Cite this Entry

“Constitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

constitute

verb
con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌt(y)üt How to pronounce constitute (audio)
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 How to pronounce constitute (audio)
1
: to appoint to an office or function
those who are constituted heirs or named legateesLouisiana Civil Code
legal authority constitutes all magistrates
2
: establish, found
to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme CourtU.S. Constitution art. I
3
a
: to put (as an agreement) into required form
b
: to qualify as
a letter can constitute a willW. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on constitute

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