constitute

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑnstɪt(j)uːt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔnstɪtjʉːt/

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To set up; to establish; to enact.
   • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:

     Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority.

2. (transitive) To make up; to compose; to form.
   • 1779–81, Samuel Johnson, "Abraham Cowley" in Lives of the Most Eminent English Poet

     Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction.

   • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 288:

     Atlantic gales constantly buffet Morwenstow, whose seven hamlets together constitute Cornwall's most northerly parish. The village is dotted with trees moulded into weird shapes by the wind, and above the trees rise the vicarage chimneystacks resembling miniature church towers.

3. (transitive) To appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower.
   • 1814, William Wordsworth, The Excursion:

     Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine.

Synonyms

• (set up): establish, enact
• (make up): make up, compose, form; see also Thesaurus:compose
• (appoint):

Derived terms

• coconstitute
• constitutability
• constitutable
• constituter
• constitutory
• preconstitute
• reconstitute
• unconstituted

Related terms

• constituent
• constituency
• constitution
• constitutional
• constitutionalization
• constitutive

Translations

to cause to stand; to establish; to enact

• Bulgarian: основавам (bg) (osnovavam), учредявам (bg) (učredjavam)
• Czech: ustavit
• Finnish: perustaa (fi)
• German: gründen (de), begründen (de), bilden (de), einrichten (de), ins Leben rufen, einsetzen (de), festsetzen (de), konstituieren (de)
• Greek: συστήνω (el) (systíno)
• Hindi: गठन करना (gaṭhan karnā)
• Italian: costituire (it), creare (it), formare (it)
• Japanese: 制定する (ja) (せいていする, seitei-suru)
• Korean: 설립(設立)하다 (ko) (seolliphada), 제정(制定)하다 (ko) (jejeonghada)
• Maori: whakaū
• Occitan: constituir (oc)
• Portuguese: constituir (pt)
• Russian: устана́вливать (ru) impf (ustanávlivatʹ), учрежда́ть (ru) impf (učreždátʹ), установи́ть (ru) pf (ustanovítʹ), учреди́ть (ru) pf (učredítʹ)
• Spanish: constituir (es)
• Turkish: meydana getirmek (tr), oluşturmak (tr)
• Ukrainian: устано́влювати impf (ustanóvljuvaty), установи́ти pf (ustanovýty), встано́влювати impf (vstanóvljuvaty), встанови́ти pf (vstanovýty), склада́ти impf (skladáty), скла́сти pf (sklásty)

to make up; to compose; to form

• Bulgarian: съставям (bg) (sǎstavjam), образувам (bg) (obrazuvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 組成 / 组成 (zh) (zǔchéng), 构成 (zh) (gòuchéng)

• Czech: tvořit (cs)
• Finnish: muodostaa (fi)
• French: constituer (fr)
• German: ausmachen (de), bilden (de), darstellen (de), repräsentieren (de)
• Greek: αποτελώ (el) (apoteló)
• Hebrew: היווה (hivá)
• Hindi: गठन करना (gaṭhan karnā)
• Italian: creare (it), formare (it), costituire (it), rappresentare (it)
• Japanese: 構成する (ja) (こうせいする, kōsei-suru)
• Korean: 구성(構成)하다 (ko) (guseonghada), 이루다 (ko) (iruda)
• Occitan: constituir (oc)
• Polish: stanowić (pl) impf
• Portuguese: constituir (pt)
• Russian: составля́ть (ru) (sostavljátʹ), формирова́ть (ru) impf (formirovátʹ), явля́ть собо́й impf (javljátʹ sobój)
• Scots: constitute
• Swedish: utgöra (sv)
• Turkish: oluşmak (tr), teşkil etmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: станови́ти impf (stanovýty), склада́ти impf (skladáty)
• Vietnamese: cấu thành (vi)

to appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower

• Finnish: nimittää (fi)
• German: ernennen (de), einsetzen (de)
• Italian: nominare (it), deputare (it), creare (it)
• Japanese: 任命する (ja) (にんめいする, ninmei-suru)
• Korean: 선출(選出)하다 (ko) (seonchulhada)
• Occitan: constituir (oc), nomenar (oc)
• Russian: ста́вить (ru) impf (stávitʹ), поста́вить (ru) pf (postávitʹ)
• Turkish: atamak (tr), seçmek (tr), tayin etmek (tr)

Noun

constitute (plural constitutes)

1. (obsolete) An established law.
   • 1569, Thomas Preston, Cambyses:

     A naughty man that will not obey the kings constitute.

References

• “constitute”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Further reading

• “constitute”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “constitute”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Latin

Noun

cōnstitūte

1. vocative singular of cōnstitūtus

References

• "constitute", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Scots

Verb

constitute (third-person singular simple present constitutes, present participle constitutein, simple past constitutet, past participle constitutet)

1. To constitute.