to compose; form: mortar constituted of lime and sand.
2.
to appoint to an office or function; make or create: He was constituted treasurer.
3.
to establish (laws, an institution, etc.).
4.
to give legal form to (an assembly, court, etc.).
5.
to create or be tantamount to: Imports constitute a challenge to local goods.
6.
Archaic. to set or place.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME < L constitūtus (ptp. of constituere; see constituent), equiv. to con-con-+ -stitūtus, comb. form of statūtum, ptp. of statuere to set up. See statute]
1442, verb use of adjective, "made up, formed" (14c.), from L. constitutus, pp. of constituere "to fix, establish," from com- intensive prefix + statuere "to set" (see statue). Constitution "health, strength, vitality" is from 1553; the political sense evolved after 1689. Constitutional (n.), short for constitutional walk is first recorded 1829. Constituency first recorded 1831.
form or compose; "This money is my only income"; "The stone wall was the backdrop for the performance"; "These constitute my entire belonging"; "The children made up the chorus"; "This sum represents my entire income for a year"; "These few men comprise his entire army"
2.
create and charge with a task or function; "nominate a committee" [syn: appoint]
3.
to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"; "The branches made a roof"; "This makes a fine introduction" [syn: form]
4.
set up or lay the groundwork for; "establish a new department" [syn: establish]
Con*stit"u*ent\, a. [L. constituens, -entis, p. pr. See Constitute.]1. Serving to form, compose, or make up; elemental; component. Body, soul, and reason are the three parts necessarily constituent of a man. --Dryden. 2. Having the power of electing or appointing. A question of right arises between the constituent and representative body. --Junius.
Con"sti*tute\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Constituted; p. pr. & vb. n. Constituting.] [L. constitutus, p. p. of constiture to constitute; con- + statuere to place, set, fr. status station, fr. stare to stand. See Stand.]1. To cause to stand; to establish; to enact. Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority. --Jer. 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. --Wordsworth. Constituted authorities, the officers of government, collectively, as of a nation, city, town, etc. --Bartlett.
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