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
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
Our back-and-forths with a chatbot, in turn, exteriorize our private, internal dialogues, which some consider constitutive of thought itself.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 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
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Our back-and-forths with a chatbot, in turn, exteriorize our private, internal dialogues, which some consider constitutive of thought itself.
—Dan Rockmore, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 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
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
Adjective
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And garnering this smallish corner of the market is intrinsic to the brand’s identity.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
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By comparing a Cepheid’s intrinsic luminosity with how bright the star appears in our sky, its distance can then be calculated.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The intention of the multi-track is to remove the inherent misalignment of a product and its value chain from the traditional product creation calendar.—
Raj Dhiman,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
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But Sauer argued that the doctrine doesn’t hold with regard to foreign affairs, where the President has some inherent constitutional authority.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Johnson, a 13-year NFL pro, is an integral cog in the Philadelphia offense.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
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When disaster strikes, public school buildings are integral as safe havens in hundreds of predominantly Indigenous villages scattered across Alaska's vast landscape.—
Emily Schwing,
NPR,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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These measures arise as essential staff—particularly air traffic controllers—have been working without paychecks.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Vitamin D receptor genes play an essential role in calcium absorption.—
Trang Tran,
Verywell Health,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Who knew constitutional law could be such a money-making racket?—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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John Shu, a constitutional law expert who served in both Bush administrations, told the Washington Examiner that the precedent for pursuing such tactics long predates Trump’s second presidency.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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