constitutive

adjective

ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌtü-tiv How to pronounce constitutive (audio)
Definition of constitutivenext
as in intrinsic
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing the proposition that liberty and justice are constitutive elements of an enlightened society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of constitutive But the sea also surges through Tennyson’s poetry in a completely different way, although one equally constitutive of his genius. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 What the poem’s constitutive range of modal verbs exemplify is a mode of poetic questioning. — Elaine L. Wang september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day. — Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025 The globalist gaze on the world identified both interconnectedness and diversity as the constitutive elements of the post-war era. — Or Rosenboim, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
  1. intrinsic
  2. inherent
  3. integral
  4. essential
  5. constitutional
Adjective
  • This growth is rooted in the Brunson family's consistent philosophy of mental toughness and collective effort, ensuring the mission remains centered on intrinsic motivation and lasting community impact, independent of on-court accolades.
    — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Meredith estimates Berkshire shares are trading at an 8% discount to intrinsic value.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of intrinsic
Adjective
  • Quite often, the old pics are dated in their morals and arrive with inherent themes which are more baggage than their worth for the studio when trying to pull in a pluralistic audience.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That experience helped Rhys recognize the inherent volatility of an actor’s career.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of inherent
Adjective
  • Jack Reacher, protagonist of books by Lee Child and an ongoing Amazon drama, has several characteristics integral to his Jack Reacher-ness.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The strong winds not only carry the sensation of discomfort, but also serendipitously become an integral character of the film.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of integral
Adjective
  • One of those arrangements just survived Supreme Court review as essential to the integrity of the number.
    — Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Rafael Pelli, Pelli’s son and a partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners, told The Art Newspaper that the natural environment surrounding the center was an essential element in its design.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of essential
Adjective
  • Maybe one on how not to crash out when protesters or witnesses pull out a phone to shoot video, as is their constitutional right?
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The second ventures directly back into the constitutional ground the Supreme Court addressed only weeks ago.
    — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of constitutional

Browse Nearby Words

constitutions
constitutive
constrain
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All