# constitute

/ˈkɑnstəˌtut/ (US) · /kˈɒnstɪtjˌuːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/constitute
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to form or make up

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

to be the parts that make up a whole thing.

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

- Twelve people constitute a jury in many legal systems.
- 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

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

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

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

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

### 3. to establish or set up

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

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

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

- The new government was constituted after the national elections.
- The commission was formally constituted under the authority of the 1994 Act to oversee telecommunications standards.

## Examples

- Twelve people constitute a full jury in this court.
- The various departments that constitute the university must coordinate their budgets every spring.
- While individual protests may seem isolated, together they constitute a significant challenge to the current administration's environmental policies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.