| Library / English Dictionary |
CONSTITUENT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
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
Example:
a component or constituent element of a system
Synonyms:
component; constituent; element
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("constituent" is a kind of...):
part; portion (something less than the whole of a human artifact)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "constituent"):
spark gap (a component of an ignition system; consists of two shaped electrodes and the space between them)
spare; spare part (an extra component of a machine or other apparatus)
retrofit (a component or accessory added to something after it has been manufactured)
pel; picture element; pixel ((computer science) the smallest discrete component of an image or picture on a CRT screen (usually a colored dot))
module (a self-contained component (unit or item) that is used in combination with other components)
making ((usually plural) the components needed for making or doing something)
landside (component consisting of a side piece opposite the moldboard)
input (a component of production; something that goes into the production of output)
ingredient (a component of a mixture or compound)
heating element (the component of a heater or range that transforms fuel or electricity into heat)
computer hardware; hardware ((computer science) the mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system)
crystal (a crystalline element used as a component in various electronic devices)
auto part; car part (a component of an automobile)
audio (the sound elements of television)
add-on; addition; improver (a component that is added to something to improve it)
accessory; add-on; appurtenance; supplement (a supplementary component that improves capability)
Derivation:
constitute (to compose or represent)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An abstract part of something
Example:
humor: an effective ingredient of a speech
Synonyms:
component; constituent; element; factor; ingredient
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("constituent" is a kind of...):
division; part; section (one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "constituent"):
point (a geometric element that has position but no extension)
plot element (a component or element of the plot of a story)
be-all and end-all; be all and end all (the essential factor; the all-important element; the supreme aim)
Sense 3
Meaning:
(grammar) a word or phrase or clause forming part of a larger grammatical construction
Synonyms:
constituent; grammatical constituent
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("constituent" is a kind of...):
syntagm; syntagma (a syntactic string of words that forms a part of some larger syntactic unit)
Domain category:
grammar (the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "constituent"):
term (one of the substantive phrases in a logical proposition)
subject ((grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated)
object ((grammar) a constituent that is acted upon)
ablative absolute (a constituent in Latin grammar; a noun and its modifier can function as a sentence modifier)
immediate constituent (a constituent of a sentence at the first step in an analysis: e.g., subject and predicate)
construction; expression; grammatical construction (a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit)
misconstruction (an ungrammatical constituent)
Holonyms ("constituent" is a part of...):
sentence (a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes
Example:
needs continued support by constituents to be re-elected
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("constituent" is a kind of...):
elector; voter (a citizen who has a legal right to vote)
Holonyms ("constituent" is a member of...):
constituency (the body of voters who elect a representative for their area)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Something determined in relation to something that includes it
Example:
the animal constituent of plankton
Synonyms:
component; component part; constituent; part; portion
Classified under:
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas
Hypernyms ("constituent" is a kind of...):
relation (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "constituent"):
substance (the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists)
language unit; linguistic unit (one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed)
item; point (a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list)
butt (the part of a plant from which the roots spring or the part of a stalk or trunk nearest the roots)
base; basis (the most important or necessary part of something)
detail; item; particular (a small part that can be considered separately from the whole)
unit (an individual or group or structure or other entity regarded as a structural or functional constituent of a whole)
member (anything that belongs to a set or class)
balance; remainder; residual; residue; residuum; rest (something left after other parts have been taken away)
subpart (a part of a part)
Holonyms ("constituent" is a part of...):
meronymy; part to whole relation (the semantic relation that holds between a part and the whole)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup)
Synonyms:
constituent; constitutional; constitutive; organic
Classified under:
Similar:
essential (basic and fundamental)
Derivation:
constitute (form or compose)
Context examples:
It is the major constituent of natural gas.
(Methane, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)
A unit of volume fraction expressed as a number of microliters of the constituent per the volume of the system represented in milliliters.
(Microliter per Milliliter, NCI Thesaurus)
A likely constituent of a neurofascin/NRCAM/ankyrin G complex, NRCAM may play a role in development of the nervous system.
(Neuronal Cell Adhesion Molecule, NCI Thesaurus)
A unit for measurement of a quotient of the number of particular entities (constituents) and the number of all constituents in the system.
(Number Fraction Unit, NCI Thesaurus)
Subcellular respiratory organelles containing catalase and hydrogen peroxide-producing flavin oxidases among its enzymatic constituents, which carry out an essentially oxidative type of metabolism
(Peroxisome, NCI Thesaurus)
In addition, phosphoric acid is a constituent in bone and teeth, and plays a role in many metabolic processes.
(Phosphoric acid, NCI Thesaurus)
This leads to a leakage and loss of essential cellular constituents.
(Natamycin, NCI Thesaurus)
The structural motif of a nanoparticle that is defined by the spatial relationship of the constituent atoms.
(Nanoparticle Topology, NCI Thesaurus)
The genes encoding these microtubule constituents are part of the tubulin superfamily, which is composed of six distinct families.
(Microtubule, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)
The sum of the relative atomic masses of the constituent atoms of a molecule.
(Molecular mass, NCI Thesaurus)
