constitute

verb

con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌtüt How to pronounce constitute (audio)
-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.

Examples of constitute in a Sentence

Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college. nine players constitute a baseball team
Recent Examples on the Web Bachelorette parties are escalating in extravagance, from pricey coordinated attire to extravagant getaways that demand time off work, leaving brides and bridesmaids pondering what constitutes appropriate planning for such events. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Also, any system constituting AGI is not supposed to be commercialized by Microsoft under the terms of OpenAI’s strategic partnership with the tech giant. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Even more, as trust and consensus erodes between consumers and food service over what constitutes a fair price of a meal, this opaque experiment feels especially distressing, for both customers and employees. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 1 Mar. 2024 Manning says there are divergent views of what constitutes AGI within the AI community. Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024 One such case is Malaysia, an ethnically and religiously diverse country, where Muslim Malays are the majority, while Buddhist, Christian and Hindu communities constitute a third of society. Ahmet T. Kuru, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 The ruling was a response to a lawsuit from couples who alleged the accidental destruction of frozen embryos at an Alabama fertility clinic constituted wrongful death of a minor. Ana Faguy, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Dear Therapist is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Lori Gottlieb, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2024 Types of Questions MCQs constitute about 50-60% of the section, with questions divided into testlets. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'constitute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of constitute was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near constitute

Cite this Entry

“Constitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

constitute

verb
con·​sti·​tute ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌt(y)üt How to pronounce constitute (audio)
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 How to pronounce constitute (audio)
1
: to appoint to an office or function
those who are constituted heirs or named legateesLouisiana Civil Code
legal authority constitutes all magistrates
2
: establish, found
to constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme CourtU.S. Constitution art. I
3
a
: to put (as an agreement) into required form
b
: to qualify as
a letter can constitute a willW. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on constitute

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!