constituent
Americanadjective
-
serving to compose or make up a thing; component.
the constituent parts of a motor.
-
having power to frame or alter a political constitution or fundamental law, as distinguished from lawmaking power.
a constituent assembly.
noun
-
an element, material, etc. that is part of something else; component.
-
a person who authorizes another to act on their behalf, such as a voter in a district represented by an elected official.
-
Grammar. an element considered as part of a construction.
adjective
-
forming part of a whole; component
-
having the power to frame a constitution or to constitute a government (esp in the phrases constituent assembly, constituent power )
-
rare electing or having the power to elect
noun
-
a component part; ingredient
-
a resident of a constituency, esp one entitled to vote
-
law a person who appoints another to act for him, as by power of attorney
-
linguistics a word, phrase, or clause forming a part of a larger construction Compare immediate constituent ultimate constituent
Related Words
See element.
Other Word Forms
- constituently adverb
- nonconstituent adjective
- preconstituent noun
Etymology
Origin of constituent
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
DHS was and is less than the sum of its constituent parts.
From Salon
“After hearing directly from my constituents, I urged the Bureau of Street Services to explore every option to keep these projects moving forward,” Jurado said in a statement this week.
From Los Angeles Times
Asked why it could not be deferred to the next Welsh Parliament, he said every MS had a "mass of correspondents from constituents as well as other organisations and families getting in touch".
From BBC
Levin said many of his constituents have expressed concerns about ICE, often when raids take place in his district.
From Los Angeles Times
But, he added, staff of both lawmakers have gone to bat for constituents seeking assistance with the insurance department.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
