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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The price-to-book ratio remains a reasonable proxy for gauging Berkshire’s intrinsic value.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
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Desire and love are such intrinsic aspects of being human, but also how does that turn horrific?—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Adjective
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Preborn children are human beings with inherent rights, dignity and worth that no contract should supersede.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
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All three of those reasons for CEO terminations describe leaders who couldn't commit, make tough calls, or grapple with the ambiguity inherent in most executive decisions.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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The question weighed heavily at Tortoise’s live shows over the past year, during which his integral contribution to the Chicago instrumental legends’ heady sound was often missed.—
Dave Segal,
SPIN,
15 May 2026
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Farming is still integral to daily life, and the festival honors this tropical fruit and like longtime growers like Lady Di, who has been cultivating pineapples since 1974.—
Taryn White,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Jumping from one idea to another, from one flavor of the month to the next, there seems to be no clarity, consistency or essential golden thread to Harry and Meghan’s work, although Meghan, known as the 24-carat master rebrander, is continuously rebranding herself.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Border plants play an essential role in unifying gardens.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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The money was routed into political committees opposing proposed constitutional amendments headed by DeSantis’ then-Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, whom DeSantis later appointed attorney general.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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But Hilton only gave that answer when pressed by moderators, and described it as a constitutional issue rather than one surrounding reproductive rights.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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