different between constitute vs constitution

English

Etymology

From Latin constitutum, past participle of constituere. Constructed from the prefix con- and statuere (“to place, set”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?tju?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?nst?t(j)u?t/

Verb

constitute (third-person singular simple present constitutes, present participle constituting, simple past and past participle constituted)

1. (transitive) To set up; to establish; to enact.
   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority.

2. (transitive) To make up; to compose; to form.
   • 1779–81, Samuel Johnson, "Abraham Cowley" in Lives of the Most Eminent English Poet

     Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction.

3. (transitive) To appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower.
   • 1814, William Wordsworth, The Excursion

     Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine.

Synonyms

• (set up): establish, enact
• (make up): make up, compose, form; see also Thesaurus:compose
• (appoint):

Related terms

• constituent
• constituency
• constitution
• constitutional
• constitutionalization
• constitutive

Translations

Noun

constitute (plural constitutes)

1. (obsolete) An established law.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of T. Preston to this entry?)

Further reading

• constitute in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• constitute in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Latin

Noun

c?nstit?te

1. vocative singular of c?nstit?tus

References

• constitute in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

Scots

Verb

constitute (third-person singular present constitutes, present participle constitutein, past constitutet, past participle constitutet)

1. To constitute.

English

Etymology

From Middle English constitucioun, constitucion (“edict, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, statute; body of laws or rules, or customs; body of fundamental principles; principle or rule (of science); creation”) from Old French constitucion (modern French constitution), a learned borrowing from Latin c?nstit?ti?, c?nstit?ti?nem (“character, constitution, disposition, nature; definition; point in dispute; order, regulation; arrangement, system”), from c?nstitu? (“to establish, set up; to confirm; to decide, resolve”) (from con- (prefix indicating a being or bringing together of several objects) + statu? (“to set up, station; to establish; to determine, fix”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh?- (“to stand (up)”))) + -ti? (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or the results of actions), -ti?nem (accusative singular of -ti?).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?nst??tju??(?)n/, /-?t?u?-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?nst??tu?(?)n/
• Hyphenation: con?sti?tu?tion

Noun

constitution (plural constitutions)

1. The act, or process of setting something up, or establishing something; the composition or structure of such a thing; its makeup.

   Synonyms: configuration, form; see also Thesaurus:composition

   • 1876, John Herschel, Outlines of Astronomy

     the physical constitution of the sun

2. (government) The formal or informal system of primary principles and laws that regulates a government or other institutions.
3. (law) A legal document describing such a formal system.
4. A person's physical makeup or temperament, especially in respect of robustness.
   • 1828, Joseph Story, Appeal to the Republic

     Our constitutions have never been enfeebled by the vices or luxuries of the old world.
5. (dated) The general health of a person.

Derived terms

• constitutional
• metaconstitution

Related terms

• constitute
• constituent
• constituency
• constitutive

Translations

References

Further reading

• constitution on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• constitution (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

From Old French constitucion, from Latin c?nstit?ti?, c?nstit?ti?nem. Morphologically, from constituer +? -tion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??s.ti.ty.sj??/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: constitutions

Noun

constitution f (plural constitutions)

1. constitution

Further reading

• “constitution” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

From Latin c?nstit?ti?, c?nstit?ti?nem.

Pronunciation

Noun

constitution f (plural constitutions)

1. (Jersey) constitution