Legal Definitions - constituent

Definition: Constituent can be used as an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it refers to a component that helps make up a unit or a whole. As a noun, it can refer to a person who gives another the authority to act as a representative, someone who is represented by an elected official, or one part of something that makes up a whole.

Adjective: The constituent elements of a cake are flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

Noun: John is a constituent of Senator Smith's district and can contact him with any concerns or issues he has.

Noun: The United States is made up of fifty constituent states.

These examples illustrate how constituent can be used to describe a part of a whole or a person who is represented by an elected official. In the first example, the constituent elements are the individual ingredients that make up a cake. In the second example, John is a constituent of Senator Smith's district, meaning he is one of the people that Senator Smith represents. In the third example, the constituent states are the individual states that make up the United States as a whole.