Definition of "constituent" []

• Serving as part of a whole; component: a constituent element. (adjective)
• Empowered to elect or designate. (adjective)
• Authorized to make or amend a constitution: a constituent assembly. (adjective)
• A constituent part; a component. See Synonyms at element. (noun)
• A resident of a district or member of a group represented by an elected official. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "_constituent_ parts of that body; in decomposing it, therefore, we separate its constituent parts."
• "But the philosopher who asks whether the Taj has “whiteness” as a constituent and the philosopher who supposes that the Taj does have this property-constituent and asks, “What is the nature of this relation ˜constituent of™ that ˜whiteness™ bears to the Taj?” are asking questions about its ontological structure.)"
• "But time after time, Congressional offices tell us that a personal letter from a constituent is the most powerful form of communication and carries the greatest impact."