as in intrinsic
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
the proposition that liberty and justice are constitutive elements of an enlightened society
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Recent Examples of constitutive
But the sea also surges through Tennyson’s poetry in a completely different way, although one equally constitutive of his genius.
—
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Although 90 percent of our people were farmers at the time of our founding nearly 250 years ago, and now only about 1.2 percent are, the fact remains this small percentage is constitutive of all the rest.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
What the poem’s constitutive range of modal verbs exemplify is a mode of poetic questioning.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The globalist gaze on the world identified both interconnectedness and diversity as the constitutive elements of the post-war era.
—Or Rosenboim, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2017
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Although 90 percent of our people were farmers at the time of our founding nearly 250 years ago, and now only about 1.2 percent are, the fact remains this small percentage is constitutive of all the rest.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
What the poem’s constitutive range of modal verbs exemplify is a mode of poetic questioning.
—Elaine L. Wang
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The globalist gaze on the world identified both interconnectedness and diversity as the constitutive elements of the post-war era.
—Or Rosenboim, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
Adjective
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The unique mineral composition also gives the stones an intrinsic ability to curl along their trajectory.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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So even Socrates, in his defense of the intrinsic goodness of justice, emphasizes the crucial role played by visibility and the corrupting power of hiddenness and anonymity.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Taos is peppy enough to move along on the open road, considering the inherent limitations of the segment.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Since 1987, governments around the world have separated the provision and regulation of air traffic control to eliminate the inherent conflict of interest in self-regulation.—
Marc Scribner,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Still, pairing strength training with cardio, which is integral to cardiovascular health, can deliver the best return on investment for women.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
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More significantly, Savonuzzi conceived the entire body—including doors and hood—as an integral, continuously flowing form.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Accurate alignment of these motors is essential to ensure synchronized gripper motion when folding fabric.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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Remove permissions that are not essential.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Legislature should build on the success of the recent constitutional amendment, Proposition 4, approved by voters, which dedicates funding to securing Texas’ long-term water supply through infrastructure improvements and new water projects.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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In Florida, voters in 2010 passed a constitutional amendment called Fair Districts that forbids lawmakers from drawing district boundaries for political purposes.—
Michael Van Sickler,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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