constitute
pronunciation
How to pronounce constitute in British English:
UK [ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt]
How to pronounce constitute in American English:
US [ˈkɑːnstɪtuːt]
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- Verb:
- form or compose
- create and charge with a task or function
- to compose or represent:"This wall forms the background of the stage setting"
- set up or lay the groundwork for
Word Origin
- constitute
- constitute: [15] Etymologically, that which is constituted is that which is ‘caused to stand’ or ‘set up’. The word comes from the past participle of Latin constituere ‘fix, establish’, a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix com- and statuere ‘set up’ (source of English statute). This was a derivative of Latin status (whence English state and status), which itself began life as the past participle of stāre ‘stand’ (a relative of English stand). The derivative constituent [17] comes (partly via French) from the Latin present participle constituēns.=> stand, statue, status, statute
- constitute (v.)
- mid-15c., verb use of adjective constitute, "made up, formed" (late 14c.), from Latin constitutus "arranged, settled," past participle adjective from constituere "to cause to stand, set up, fix, place, establish, set in order; form something new; resolve," of persons, "to appoint to an office," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + statuere "to set," from PIE root *sta- "to stand," with derivatives meaning "place or thing that is standing" (see stet). Related: Constituted; constituting.
Example
- 1. That would clearly constitute a monetary policy operation .
- 2. Missiles , satellites and submarines constitute china 's naval strategy .
- 3. Those now constitute one-third of japan 's workforce .
- 4. Gap-plugging alone does not constitute a strategy .
- 5. They do not constitute a complete and continuous set of memoranda .