constitute
verb
con·sti·tute
ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌtüt 
-ˌtyüt
constituted; constituting
1
2
3
: to appoint to an office, function, or dignity
Legal authority constitutes all magistrates.
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
My Mom’s Choice to Die Dr. Ellen Wiebe, who has performed hundreds of medical aid in dying (or MAID) procedures, discusses what constitutes a good death.
—
Michael Sokolove Tomas Weber Emily Bazelon David Marchese Kwame Anthony Appiah Eric Kim Eleanor Cummins Peter C. Baker John Hodgman, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2024
What constituted such an attack was never spelled out in order to leave ambiguity in the minds of Russia's adversaries (ambiguity is a key part of deterrence, after all).
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
As very limited editions, these watches constitute true collector’s pieces.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024
What constitutes a terrorist organization is generally defined in existing U.S. statutes as groups that have committed acts of terrorism and that pose a national security threat to the U.S. That includes groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for constitute 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Sokolove Tomas Weber Emily Bazelon David Marchese Kwame Anthony Appiah Eric Kim Eleanor Cummins Peter C. Baker John Hodgman, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2024
What constituted such an attack was never spelled out in order to leave ambiguity in the minds of Russia's adversaries (ambiguity is a key part of deterrence, after all).
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
As very limited editions, these watches constitute true collector’s pieces.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024
What constitutes a terrorist organization is generally defined in existing U.S. statutes as groups that have committed acts of terrorism and that pose a national security threat to the U.S. That includes groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for constitute
Dictionary Entries Near constitute
Cite this Entry
“Constitute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitute. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
constitute
verb
con·sti·tute
ˈkän(t)-stə-ˌt(y)üt
constituted; constituting
1
: to appoint to an office or duty
constituted authorities
2
: set up sense 4, establish
a fund was constituted to help needy students
3
: make up sense 2, form
twelve months constitute a year
Legal Definition
constitute
transitive verb
con·sti·tute
ˈkän-stə-ˌtüt, -ˌtyüt
1
: to appoint to an office or function
those who are constituted heirs or named legatees—Louisiana Civil Code
Louisiana Civil Codelegal authority constitutes all magistrates
3
a
: to put (as an agreement) into required form
b
: to qualify as
a letter can constitute a will—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.failure to act may constitute negligence
c
: to form the substance or whole of
the bonds constituted the entire estate
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share