constituent

[ kuhn-stich-oo-uhnt ]
See synonyms for: constituentconstituents on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. serving to compose or make up a thing; component: the constituent parts of a motor.

  2. having power to frame or alter a political constitution or fundamental law, as distinguished from lawmaking power: a constituent assembly.

noun
  1. an element, material, etc. that is part of something else; component.

  2. a person who authorizes another to act on their behalf, such as a voter in a district represented by an elected official.

  1. Grammar. an element considered as part of a construction.: Compare immediate constituent, ultimate constituent.

Origin of constituent

1
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin constituent- (stem of constituēns, present participle of constituere “to set up, found, constitute),” equivalent to con- con- + -stitu- (combining form of statuere “to set up”) + -ent- -ent

synonym study For constituent

3. See element.

Other words from constituent

  • con·stit·u·ent·ly, adverb
  • non·con·stit·u·ent, adjective, noun
  • pre·con·stit·u·ent, noun

Words Nearby constituent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use constituent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for constituent

constituent

/ (kənˈstɪtjʊənt) /


adjective(prenominal)
  1. forming part of a whole; component

  2. having the power to frame a constitution or to constitute a government (esp in the phrases constituent assembly, constituent power)

  1. rare electing or having the power to elect

noun
  1. a component part; ingredient

  2. a resident of a constituency, esp one entitled to vote

  1. mainly law a person who appoints another to act for him, as by power of attorney

  2. linguistics a word, phrase, or clause forming a part of a larger construction: Compare immediate constituent, ultimate constituent

Origin of constituent

1
C17: from Latin constituēns setting up, from constituere to establish, constitute

Derived forms of constituent

  • constituently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012