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

• compose
• comprise
• form
• make up

Example Sentences

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

nine players constitute a baseball team

Recent Examples on the Web

Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the SEC. —Andrew Rosen, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023

An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF ELDERLY Flyn E. Ruperto of Sycamore was charged with financial exploitation of the elderly Feb. 22. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2023

Through its stranglehold on resources and institutional power, the U.S. medical profession has also come to distort the very definition of public health and what is now widely believed to constitute relevant knowledge. —Eric Reinhart, STAT, 24 Feb. 2023

Black Tunisians have long made up a sizable proportion of the population, widely estimated to constitute around 10 to 15 percent of the country’s population of some 12 million people. —Claire Parker, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2023

Experts say that Make Sunsets’ SO2 release was small enough not to constitute an environmental danger, but many have criticized the company for attempting to profit off largely untested science. —Time, 19 Jan. 2023

In January 2021, Maryland ruled that rap lyrics could constitute evidence of guilt. —Vulture, 13 Jan. 2023

Nuclear energy, on the other hand, continues to constitute a smaller share of power generation in the country, going from 20% yearly from 2019 to 2021, to 19% in 2022. —Li Cohen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2023

Electing a speaker is the first order of business to constitute the new House — nothing else can proceed until the task is done. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Jan. 2023

See More

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

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