constitute
KONS-tiht-yoot
Constitute (verb) means to make up or form something when combined with other parts. Example: “Twelve months constitute a year, and seven days constitute a week.”
verb
1
To make up or form something when combined with other parts.
"Twelve months constitute a year, and seven days constitute a week."
"Three strikes constitute an out in baseball."
"These emails alone don't constitute proof of wrongdoing."
2
To formally establish or set up (a law, body, or authority).
"The founders met to constitute the society and agree its rules."
"Parliament has the power to constitute special courts when they are needed."
"The assembly voted to constitute a new committee."
How to use constitute
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make up or count as something, or to formally set something up.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
constitute a threat
constitute grounds for
constitute a majority
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Word forms
- Plural
- constitutes
- Third person singular
- constitutes
- Past tense
- constituted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Twelve months _____ a year, and seven days constitute a week.
Etymology
From Latin constituere, "to set up, establish," from con- ("together") + statuere ("to set up").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for constitute
See all rhymes for constitute →Frequently asked questions
What does “constitute” mean?
The word “constitute” means to make up or form something when combined with other parts. In plain terms, to make up or count as something, or to formally set something up.
How do you pronounce “constitute”?
“Constitute” is pronounced KONS-tiht-yoot (/ˈkɑnstɪt(j)uːt/ in IPA).
How do you use “constitute” in a sentence?
Here is “constitute” used in a sentence: “Three strikes constitute an out in baseball.”
What is another word for “constitute”?
Words with a similar meaning to “constitute” include compose and form.
What part of speech is “constitute”?
“Constitute” is a verb.
Where does the word “constitute” come from?
The word “constitute” comes from Latin. From Latin constituere, "to set up, establish," from con- ("together") + statuere ("to set up").
Is “constitute” a common word?
“Constitute” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “constitute” have?
“Constitute” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make up or form something when combined with other parts.
What is the difference between constitute and establish?
Establish means to formally set something up, while constitute has two senses: it can mean to formally establish a law, body, or authority, similar to establish, but it can also mean to make up or form something when combined with other parts, a sense establish does not share. Constitute is used more often for describing what elements together add up to.
What is the difference between constitute and constitutes?
Constitute is the base form of the verb, while constitutes is the third-person singular present tense form used with a singular subject, as in "this constitutes a breach." Both describe the same action of making up or forming something.
When should you use constitute instead of compose?
Constitute and compose can both describe parts making up a whole, but constitute is often used when stating that something counts as or amounts to a particular category, as in "this constitutes fraud," while compose more literally describes physical or structural parts forming a whole. Constitute also carries the additional, distinct sense of formally establishing a law or authority, which compose does not.
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