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Webster 1913 Edition


Constitute

Con′sti-tute

(kŏn′stĭ-tūt)
,
Verb.
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.
2.
To make up; to compose; to form.
Truth and reason
constitute
that intellectual gold that defies destruction.
Johnson.
3.
To appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower.
Me didst Thou
constitute
a priest of thine.
Wordsworth.
Constituted authorities
,
the officers of government, collectively, as of a nation, city, town, etc.
Bartlett.

Con′sti-tute

(kŏn′stĭ-tūt)
,
Noun.
An established law.
[Obs.]
T. Preston.

Webster 1828 Edition


Constitute

CONSTITUTE

,
Verb.
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.

Definition 2024


constitute

constitute

English

Verb

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

  1. To cause to stand; to establish; to enact.
    • Jeremy Taylor
      Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority.
  2. To make up; to compose; to form.
    • Johnson
      Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction.
  3. To appoint, depute, or elect to an office; to make and empower.
    • William Wordsworth
      Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

constitute (plural constitutes)

  1. (obsolete) An established law.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of T. Preston to this entry?)

External links

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

Latin

Noun

constitūte

  1. vocative singular of constitūtus

References


Scots

Verb

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

  1. To constitute.