constituent

views updated May 18 2018

con·stit·u·ent / kənˈstichoōənt/ • adj. 1. being a part of a whole: the constituent minerals of the rock.2. being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect: the constituent body has a right of veto. ∎  able to make or change a political constitution: a constituent assembly.• n. 1. a member of a constituency.2. a component part of something. ∎ Linguistics the common part of two or several more complex forms, e.g., gentle in gentleman, gentlemanly, ungentlemanly. ∎ Linguistics a word or construction that is part of a larger construction.

constituent

views updated Jun 08 2018

constituent
A. adj. jointly constituting XVII; constituting or appointing a representative XVIII; having the power to frame a constitution XIX;

B. sb. one who appoints a representative XVII; elector; constituent element XVIII. — (partly through F. constituant) L. constituēns, -ent-, prp. of constituere; see next and -ENT.
Hence constituency body of constituents. XIX.

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constituent

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