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
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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
Although 90 percent of our people were farmers at the time of our founding nearly 250 years ago, and now only about 1.2 percent are, the fact remains this small percentage is constitutive of all the rest.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
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
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 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
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Although 90 percent of our people were farmers at the time of our founding nearly 250 years ago, and now only about 1.2 percent are, the fact remains this small percentage is constitutive of all the rest.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
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
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 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
Adjective
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Happiness means pursuing intrinsic rather than extrinsic goals One of the biggest lies that Old Happy tells us, Harrison explains, is that the pursuit of extrinsic goals and external approval — popularity, conformity, financial success, aesthetic beauty — is the key to happiness.—
Nina Zipkin,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
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Keep your day playful by adjusting your schedule while staying loyal to your intrinsic voice.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There’s an inherent troublemaking nature to him that can’t be repressed by the big Disney musical.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
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On top of this, the inherent illiquidity of real estate can complicate everything from governance to generational transitions.—
Belinda G. Schwartz,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Americans may underestimate the value of a guide partly because guiding isn’t integral to our culture.—
Sergei Poljak,
Outside,
7 Mar. 2026
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Carlson, who played an integral part of the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup win and is a former Norris Trophy runner-up for the NHL’s top defenseman, should bring a veteran presence to a young Ducks team that is on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.—
Los Angeles Times staff,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The gift was designated to further advance and highlight essential and high-level glioblastoma research at UC San Diego, in addition to inspiring others to follow suit and ultimately contribute to this critical and developing area of medical research.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Leucovorin is a synthetic metabolite of folate, which is essential for healthy pregnancies and is recommended for women before conception and during pregnancy.—
MATTHEW PERRONE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Times sued the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December, claiming the credentialing policy violates the journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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In Michigan, supporters of voter citizenship documentation submitted 750,000 petition signatures this week in a bid to get a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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