{
    "term": "constitute",
    "partOfSpeech": "verblinking verblinking verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "constitute",
            "heSheIt": "constitutes"
        },
        "pastSimple": "constituted",
        "pastParticiple": "constituted",
        "ingForm": "constituting"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to be considered to be something",
            "sensetop": "+ noun",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Does such an activity constitute a criminal offence?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Climate change constitutes a major threat to life."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to constitute a danger/crime/breach/nuisance"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His action was interpreted as constituting a threat to the community."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The census constitutes the principal source of official statistics."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The conference in itself constitutes a solid achievement."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This action constitutes a violation of international law."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to be the parts that together form something",
            "sensetop": "+ noun",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Female workers constitute the majority of the labour force."
                },
                {
                    "text": "People under the age of 40 constitute the majority of the labour force."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "make up"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to form a group legally or officially",
            "sensetop": "be constituted (by somebody/something)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The committee was constituted in 1974 by an Act of Parliament.",
                    "contextForm": "be constituted (by somebody/something)"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "establish, set something  up"
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɒnstɪtjuːt/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstitute__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɒnstɪtjuːts/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstitutes__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɒnstɪtjuːtɪd/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstituted__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɒnstɪtjuːtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstituting__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɑːnstɪtuːt/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstitute__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɑːnstɪtuːts/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstitutes__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɑːnstɪtuːtɪd/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstituted__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkɑːnstɪtuːtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "xc/constitute/xconstituting__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Latin constitut- ‘established, appointed’, from the verb constituere, from con- ‘together’ + statuere ‘set up’."
}