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
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
Homoeroticism is of course constitutive of a great deal of classical statuary.
—Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
That could require a new constitutive assembly, with a mission, charter, and political program that speaks to all Palestinians and eschews the stale language of the old PLO, a discourse imbued with the spirit of the mid-twentieth century but with no currency in the twenty-first.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
Serge’s simultaneous ambivalence about the status of the individual and sympathetic investment in individuals (and his keen eye for particulars) provides the constitutive tension of his best fiction.
—Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 29 Dec. 2022
Neoliberals’ constitutive disenfranchisement of voters and all those without a foothold in the asset economy is very much still with us.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2022
But in Meacham’s treatment, such personal details function as supporting pieces in a story designed around high-stakes campaign speeches, the constitutive ritual of inaugurations and grave moments of statesmanship.
—John Fabian Witt, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
And both suggest that the impulse to cheat, cut corners and get over on chumps, if not inflict harm upon them outright, is far from some aberrant pathology in the American identity but rather a constitutive force.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2022
Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Homoeroticism is of course constitutive of a great deal of classical statuary.
—Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
That could require a new constitutive assembly, with a mission, charter, and political program that speaks to all Palestinians and eschews the stale language of the old PLO, a discourse imbued with the spirit of the mid-twentieth century but with no currency in the twenty-first.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
Serge’s simultaneous ambivalence about the status of the individual and sympathetic investment in individuals (and his keen eye for particulars) provides the constitutive tension of his best fiction.
—Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 29 Dec. 2022
Neoliberals’ constitutive disenfranchisement of voters and all those without a foothold in the asset economy is very much still with us.
—Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 31 Oct. 2022
But in Meacham’s treatment, such personal details function as supporting pieces in a story designed around high-stakes campaign speeches, the constitutive ritual of inaugurations and grave moments of statesmanship.
—John Fabian Witt, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022
And both suggest that the impulse to cheat, cut corners and get over on chumps, if not inflict harm upon them outright, is far from some aberrant pathology in the American identity but rather a constitutive force.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
Adjective
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Alternative ideas, whatever those might be, have intrinsic value.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The intrinsic value of jewelry is widely acknowledged.—
Shannon Adducci,
Robb Report,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This setup has worked well for me because of the inherent trust within our relationships.—
Dustin Lemick,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
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At a basic level, the odd number creates an inherent imbalance, Barbie Atkinson, LPC, founder of Catalyst Counseling in Houston, tells SELF.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Enabling all these benefits will require shifting your mindset and learning to see and treat product cybersecurity as an integral part of your product’s delivery process.—
Klaudia Zaika,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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The deal will also recognize as an integral part of the state Syria’s Kurdish community, tens of thousands of whom were previously denied citizenship under the decades-long rule of the Assad regime.—
Eyad Kourdi,
CNN,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Influencing Without Authority For a tech leader, influencing without authority is essential.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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While safety is essential, true stability comes from economic opportunity — the chance to build a fulfilling life, regardless of your ZIP code.—
Carolina Chavez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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