Definition of CONSTITUTES (original) (raw)
1
: [make up](/dictionary/make up), form, compose
12 months constitute a year.
… high school dropouts who constitute a major problem in large city slums.—
J. B. Conant
2
a
: enact
regulations as are constituted by the government
b
: found
constitute a provisional government
c(1)
: to give due or lawful form to
an agreement constituted by writing
3
: to appoint to an office, function, or dignity
Legal authority constitutes all magistrates.
Synonyms
Examples of constitute in a Sentence
Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college. nine players constitute a baseball team
Recent Examples on the Web In a school system where Black and Latino students make up two-thirds of the student population, Black students constituted just 4.5% of offers to those schools — and Latino students, just 7.6%. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 June 2024 The Justice Department said last month that Boeing’s recent string of safety lapses and mishaps constituted a violation of its 2021 agreement that allowed the company to avoid charges for 737 Max crashes in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia in March 2019 that killed 346 people. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 19 June 2024 Such treatment, the report, said constitutes a violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. —Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2024 Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. —Miami Herald, 12 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for constitute 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'constitute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin constitutus, past participle of constituere to set up, constitute, from com- + statuere to set — more at statute
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of constitute was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near constitute
Cite this Entry
“Constitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute. Accessed 3 Jul. 2024.
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Last Updated: 28 Jun 2024 - Updated example sentences
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