Etymology

From Latin constitutum, past participle of constituere. Constructed from the prefix con- and statuere ("to place, set").

Verb

to constitute (third-person singular simple present constitutes, present participle constituting, simple past and past participle constituted)

1. To cause to stand; to establish; to enact.
   
   Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority.-- Jeremy Taylor.
   
   
2. To make up; to compose; to form.
   
   Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction.--Johnson.
   
   
3. To appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower.
   
   Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine.-- William Wordsworth.

Synonyms

• establish, enact
• make up, compose, form

Related terms

• constituent
• constituency
• constitution
• constitutional
• constitutive

This entry is from Wiktionary - Dictionary and thesaurus. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.