1. 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
   "a component or constituent element of a system";
   - component, element
    
2. A member of a constituency; a citizen who is represented in a government by officials for whom he or she votes
   "needs continued support by constituents to be re-elected"
    
3. Something determined in relation to something that includes it
   "the animal constituent of plankton";
   - part, portion, component part, component
    
4. (grammar) a word, phrase or clause forming part of a larger grammatical construction
   "In 'The cat sat on the mat', 'the cat' is a grammatical constituent";
   - grammatical constituent
    
5. An abstract part of something
   "two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony";
   - component, element, factor, ingredient

1. Forming an essential or integral part of a whole, especially of a physical structure
   "Oxygen is a constituent element of air";
   - constitutional, constitutive, component

Derived forms: constituents

See also: essential

Type of: division, elector, part, portion, relation, section, syntagm, syntagma, voter

Part of: constituency, electorate [Austral, NZ], meronymy, part to whole relation, sentence

Encyclopedia: Constituent