constituted

Everyday

1. (formal) Constituted means made up, formed: «The class is constituted of 30 pupils.» tree →
2. (formal) Constituted means counted as: «This constituted a record.» tree →
3. To be constituted means to be set up officially, like a committee. tree →

In the lessons

Used in the stiff exam voice and formal texts. In maths it can tell what parts make up a total: «Girls constituted half of the class.» Phrases: «constituted of», «duly constituted».

Examples

• Girls constituted half of the team. tree →
• Water constituted most of the mixture. tree →
• The council was constituted last spring. tree →
• Their act constituted a breach of the rules. tree →
• 12 of the 48 marbles were red; what fraction did red marbles constitute? tree →
• The committee is constituted of five members. tree →
• In fact, the hearth was held so sacred that it constituted the sanctum of the family, for which reason it was always erected in the centre of every house. tree →

Note

Formal; in everyday speech say «made up» or «was». Noun: constitution. Maths: «X constitutes 1/4 of the total» means X = total ÷ 4.