▪ I. constitute, v.
(ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt)
[f. L. constitūt-, ppl. stem of constituĕre to set up, post, establish, appoint, ordain, f. con- intensive + statuĕre to set up, place: see statute. The pa. pple. was in early times often constitut, -ute (from L. constitūtus), and this is still retained in technical phraseology in Scotland.]
† 1. trans. To set, place (in a specified state, situation, condition, etc.) Obs.
| 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxviii. H ij b, The longe sorowe mortalle in whiche was constytuted the faire Elysse or Dydo. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) v. iv. 391 He constytuteth his ende, and blessydnesse in the thynge that he desyreth soueraynly. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 263 The fiery starre of Mars, constituted in the midst of heaven. 1728 Morgan Algiers II. iv. 263 The Turks..releasing..several hundreds of captive Mussulmans and constituting in the Vacancies as many of their new Slaves, returned. 1875 Manning Mission H. Ghost vi. 152 The Council of Trent, after having weighed long whether to say man was created in grace, finally determined to say that man was constituted in grace. |
† b. To set up (in an office or position of authority). Obs. (cf. 2.)
| 1616 Bullokar, Constitute, to ordaine, to appoint. 1641 Disc. Prince Henry in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793) 261 Princes and men, constituted in high places. 1658 Ussher Ann. vi. 522 He..constituted Eumachus over the whole nation. 1722 Swift Wonder of Wonders Wks. 1755 II. ii. 52 He hath been constituted by the higher powers in the station of receiver-general. |
† 2. To set up, appoint, ordain (an officer). Obs.
| 1481 Caxton Godfrey 14 How therle of tholouse toke the cyte of albane, and therin constituted a bisshop. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 106/2 Those bishops, that you constitute. 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 31 When supreme powers..constitute any magistrate. 1692 Washington tr. Milton's Def. Pop. Wks. 1738 I. 522 A King of England..was not constituted to make Laws, but to see those Laws kept, which the People made. |
b. To appoint to the office, function, or dignity of; to make, create. (With obj. and compl.)
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 27 That ye ordeyne and constytute the sayd noble Jason Capytayne of this Royaume. 1524 W. Malvern Found. Abbey of Glocester iii. in R. Glouc. (1724) 579 The said noble Osrike..Kingburge his sister did constitute Abbesse. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxii. 115 Where one Man..is constituted Representative of the whole number. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 296 We constituted him captain. 1879 R. T. Smith St. Basil 126 Recording how the Lord constituted Peter, after himself, shepherd of the Church. |
3. To set up, ordain, establish, appoint, determine (a law, regulation, etc.). ? Obs.
| 1535 Starkey Lett. in England p. xix. 1552 Huloet, Constitute decrees or lawes, sancire leges. 1651 Jer. Taylor Holy Living (J.), We must obey laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes iv. 186 Let this be constituted..as firmly, as this Grant is constituted. 1814 Southey Roderick xiii, What terms Asturias..Doth constitute to be the law. |
† b. with obj. clause. Obs.
| 1593 R. Harvey Philad. 100 Martin of Roome constituted that his Clergy should vowe chastitie. 1678 Gale Crt. Gentiles III. 18 Whereby God has from al eternitie constituted with himself what he wil do. 1686 J. Sergeant Hist. Monast. Convent. 107 Pope Leo the Tenth Instituted the Order of St. Peter; constituting those of the Order to wear..the Effigies of that Saint. |
† c. absol. Obs.
| 1486 [see constitute ppl. a. A]. 1574 Whitgift Def. Aunsw. ii. Wks. 1851 I. 237 The church of Christ hath authority to ordain and constitute..in those things before of me rehearsed. 1661 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 55 My Lord thought it not worth the while to constitute..in a thing so shortly to be altered and reformed. |
4. To set up, establish, found (an institution, etc.).
| 1549 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Collect St. Michael, Whiche haste ordayned & constituted the seruices of angels and men in a wonderfull ordre. a 1605 Stow Mem. Antiq. (R.), This Brutus had three sonnes, who constituted three kingdoms. 1676 I. Mather Hist. Philip's War (1862) 39 Six Churches have been constituted amongst the Indians. 1765 Blackstone Comm. (1793) 108 Provincial assemblies are constituted, with the power of making local ordinances. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 90 To constitute a tribunal. 1863 D. Rowland Laws Nat. 5 Grotius did not constitute a system..of natural law. |
b. To give legal or official form or shape to (an assembly, etc.).
| 1638 Duke of Hamilton in H. Papers (Camden) 62 Aduyce uhidder this assem[bly] uas not lafully constituted. 1714 G. Lockhart Mem. Affairs Scot. 116 The first two Days being spent in Constituting the House. 1808 Jamieson, To constitute, a term generally used in S[cotland], to denote the opening of an ecclesiastical court with prayer by him who presides in it. 1839 Alison Hist. Europe (1849) I. iv. §53. 491 Intimation was sent to the other orders that they would proceed to constitute themselves. 1871 Moncrieff Pract. Free Ch. Scotl. i. 9. 1886 Act 49–50 Vict. c. 50 §3 Any lease, tack, or set, whether constituted by writing or verbally. |
5. To frame, form, make (by combination of elements); esp. in pass. to have a constitution or make of a specified sort. (Very frequent in reference to the bodily or mental constitution.)
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 188 Many..whose Livers are weakely constituted. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 70 We are so constituted, that time abundantly abates our sorrows. 1772 Hutton Bridges p. iv, Directions for constituting and adapting to one another, the several..parts of a bridge. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 45 The houses are of wood; but when well constituted..they are warmer than those built of brick or stone. 1869 J. Martineau Ess. II. 163 Faculties constituted like our own. |
6. To make (a person or thing) something; to establish or set up as. (With obj. and compl.) Cf. 2.
| 1534 [see constitute ppl. a. A]. 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 74 That which constituteth him a visible member. 1652 F. Hawkins Youth's Behav. i. §33 (1663) 7 Ever constitute the defect of his morality thy precaution. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. v. 413 The will of a single man..cannot be allowed to constitute itself an irremoveable obstacle to a great national good. 1873 Black Pr. Thule vi. 81 He had constituted himself her companion. |
7. (with simple obj.) To make (a thing) what it is; to give its being to, form, determine.
| 1848 Mill Pol. Econ. i. v. §9 This theorem..that the demand for labour is constituted by the wages which precede the production. 1862 Ruskin Munera P. (1880) 25 All wealth is intrinsic, and is not constituted by the judgment of men. |
8. To make up, form, compose; to be the elements or material of which the thing spoken of consists. (Correlative to consist 7.)
| 1552 [see constitute ppl. a. A]. 1675 Ogilby Brit. 30 It constitutes the isle of Alney. 1683 Dryden Life Plutarch Wks. 1808 XVII. 33 One body of men, constituted of many individuals. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. ii. §14 The happiness of a brute can never constitute the true happiness of a man. 1832 H. Martineau Life in Wilds iv. 51 The things which constitute wealth. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xxii. 156 The rocks which constitute the crest of the mountain. 1868 M. Pattison Academ. Org. iv. 100 Poverty, as such, constitutes no title to academical funds. 1879 Lubbock Addr. Pol. & Educ. iv. 70 Reading, writing, and arithmetic..do not in themselves constitute an education. |
▪ II. † ˈconstitute, ppl. a. and n. Obs. or arch.
Also 5–6 constitut.
[ad. L. constitūt-us, pa. pple. of constituĕre; in later use prob. regarded as contracted from constituted.]
A. as pa. pple. Constituted, appointed, established, etc.; see the verb.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 71/2 Thenne our lord sente pestylence the tyme constytute. 1486 Lichfield Gild Register lf. 8 b, [We] haue ordened and constitute vpon certaine articles for the..welfare of the Cominalte. 1534 More On the Passion Wks. 1283/1 As by the disobedience of one manne, many be constitute and made synners. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 16 Ane sacrament is constitute or maid of twa principal partes. 1613 Salkeld Angels 39 As though they [Angels] were..constitute of matter and forme as man is. 1719 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 443 It could not be read till the Assembly was constitute. 1808 Jamieson s.v., An ecclesiastical court..is said to be constitute with prayer by the Moderator. |
B. as ppl. a. = constituted.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxv. (Arb.) 311 The vertues of a well constitute body and minde. 1741 J. Short in Phil. Trans. XLI. 625 The most irregularly constitute Year of any in my Time. 1818 Colebrooke Oblig. & Contr. I. 119 Constitute, or subsequent undertaking of a person, who engages to pay a subsisting debt, or fulfil an existing obligation of [another]. |
C. as n. a. An ordinance. b. A person instituted to an office.
| c 1561 T. Preston Cambises in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 189 A naughty man that will not obey the kings constitute. a 1610 in Maidment Sc. Pasquils 9 They'll say they have their substituts, But I say these are not Christ's constituts. |