Adjacent Words

Constitute definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CONSTITUTE, v.t. [L., to set.]
1. To set; to fix; to enact; to establish.
We must obey laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority, not against the law of God.
2. To form or compose; to give formal existence to; to make a thing what it is.
Perspicuity constitutes the prime excellence of style.
Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction.
3. To appoint, depute or elect to an office or employment; to make and empower.
A sheriff is constituted a conservator of the peace.
A has constituted B his attorney or agent.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: 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" [syn: constitute, represent, make up, comprise, be]
2: create and charge with a task or function; "nominate a committee" [syn: appoint, name, nominate, constitute]
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, constitute, make]
4: set up or lay the groundwork for; "establish a new department" [syn: establish, found, plant, constitute, institute]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (-tuted; -tuting) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin constitutus, past participle of constituere to set up, constitute, from com- + statuere to set — more at statute Date: 15th century 1. to appoint to an office, function, or dignity 2. set up, establish: as a. enact b. found c. (1) to give due or lawful form to (2) to legally process 3. make up, form, compose <12 months constitute a year> <high school dropouts who constitute a major problem in large city slums — J. B. Conant>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 be the components or essence of; make up, form. 2 a be equivalent or tantamount to (this constitutes an official warning). b formally establish (does not constitute a precedent). 3 give legal or constitutional form to; establish by law. Derivatives: constitutor n. Etymology: L constituere (as com-, statuere set up)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constitute Con"sti*tute, n. An established law. [Obs.] --T. Preston.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Constitute 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(constitutes, constituting, constituted) 1. If something constitutes a particular thing, it can be regarded as being that thing. Testing patients without their consent would constitute a professional and legal offence... V-LINK: no cont, V n 2. If a number of things or people constitute something, they are the parts or members that form it. Volunteers constitute more than 95% of The Center's work force. = comprise V-LINK: no cont, V n 3. When something such as a committee or government is constituted, it is formally established and given authority to operate. (FORMAL) On 6 July a People's Revolutionary Government was constituted... The accused will appear before a specially constituted military tribunal. = set up VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Form, compose, make, make up, enter into the composition of. 2. Appoint, depute, empower. 3. Set up, establish, enact, fix.

Moby Thesaurus

assemble, authorize, build, build up, combine, complement, complete, compose, comprise, consist of, construct, create, declare lawful, decree, effect, effectuate, embody, enact, enact laws, enter into, establish, fabricate, filibuster, fill out, form, formulate, found, get the floor, go into, have the floor, inaugurate, incept, incorporate, install, institute, integrate, join, kill, legalize, legislate, legitimate, legitimatize, legitimize, lobby through, logroll, make, make a regulation, make legal, make up, materialize, merge in, mix, ordain, organize, pass, piece together, pigeonhole, pocket, prescribe, put in force, put through, put together, railroad through, realize, regulate, roll logs, sanction, set up, start, structure, synthesize, table, take the floor, unite in, validate, veto, yield the floor