What does "constitute" mean?

1. (to form or make up) to be the parts that make up a whole thing. 2. (to be considered as) to be seen as or to count as something, especially in a legal or official way. 3. (to establish or set up) to officially start or create an organization, committee, or law.

How do you use "constitute"?

Often used in the active voice where the parts are the subject and the whole is the object. Commonly used in legal and administrative contexts to define boundaries of behavior.

constitute

US //ˈkɑnstəˌtut// UK //kˈɒnstɪtjˌuːt// con·sti·tute

1 to form or make up (v.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal

to be the parts that make up a whole thing.

to be the components or elements that form a whole. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the entity being formed.

Example

Twelve people constitute a jury in many legal systems.

Example

The various ethnic and linguistic groups that constitute the nation's population contribute to its unique cultural identity.

Usage

Often used in the active voice where the parts are the subject and the whole is the object.
2 to be considered as (v.)
C1 Advanced Academic Formal Law

to be seen as or to count as something, especially in a legal or official way.

to be equivalent to or to amount to something. Often used to define whether an action meets a specific legal or formal criteria.

Example

The police stated that his actions did not constitute a crime.

Example

The committee must determine whether the leaked documents constitute a significant breach of national security protocols.

Usage

Commonly used in legal and administrative contexts to define boundaries of behavior.
- represent
- amount to
- embody

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3 to establish or set up (v.)
C2 Proficiency Formal Technical

to officially start or create an organization, committee, or law.

to set up, establish, or enact by a formal or legal process.

Example

The new government was constituted after the national elections.

Example

The commission was formally constituted under the authority of the 1994 Act to oversee telecommunications standards.
- abolish
- dissolve

Origin

From Middle English constituten, from Latin cōnstitūtum, neuter of cōnstitūtus, past participle of Latin cōnstituō (“to put in place; set up; establish”), from con- (“with”) + statuō (“to put up; establish”).