3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Constituent \Con*stit"u*ent\, a. [L. constituens, -entis, p. pr.
See {Constitute}.]
1. Serving to form, compose, or make up; elemental;
component.
Body, soul, and reason are the three parts
necessarily constituent of a man. --Dryden.
2. Having the power of electing or appointing.
A question of right arises between the constituent
and representative body. --Junius.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Constituent \Con*stit"u*ent\, n.
1. The person or thing which constitutes, determines, or
constructs.
Their first composure and origination require a
higher and nobler constituent than chance. --Sir M.
Hale
2. That which constitutes or composes, as a part, or an
essential part; a component; an element.
We know how to bring these constituents together,
and to cause them to form water. --Tyndall.
3. One for whom another acts; especially, one who is
represented by another in a legislative assembly; --
correlative to representative.
The electors in the district of a representative in
Congress, or in the legislature of a State, are
termed his constituents. --Abbot.
To appeal from the representatives to the
constituents. --Macaulay.
4. (Law) A person who appoints another to act for him as
attorney in fact. --Burrill.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
constituent
adj : constitutional in the structure of something (especially
your physical makeup) [syn: {constituent(a)}, {constitutional},
{constitutive(a)}, {organic}]
n 1: an artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a
composite entity is made up; especially a part that can
be separated from or attached to a system; "spare
components for cars"; "a component or constituent
element of a system" [syn: {component}, {element}]
2: a member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in
a government by officials for whom he or she votes; "needs
continued support by constituents to be re-elected"
3: (grammar) a word or phrase or clause forming part of a
larger grammatical construction [syn: {grammatical
constituent}]
4: an abstract part of something; "jealousy was a component of
his character"; "two constituents of a musical composition
are melody and harmony"; "the grammatical elements of a
sentence"; "a key factor in her success"; "humor: an
effective ingredient of a speech" [syn: {component}, {element},
{factor}, {ingredient}]