constituency

noun

con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈstich-wən(t)-sē How to pronounce constituency (audio)
-ˈsti-chə-,
-ˈsti-chü-ən(t)-
plural constituencies
1
a
: a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative (as to a legislative or executive position)
the governor's liberal constituency
b
: the residents in an electoral district
The senator's constituency includes a large minority population.
c
: an electoral district
2
a
: a group or body that patronizes, supports, or offers representation
creating … a grass-roots constituency for continuing the projectFred Reed
b
: the people involved in or served by an organization (such as a business or institution)
… regards its corporate customers as its prime constituency.Andrew Hacker

Examples of constituency in a Sentence

The senator's constituency includes a large minority population. He was elected to represent a Liverpool constituency.
Recent Examples on the Web Chavarria, 53, says the Sierra Club is big enough to represent both constituencies. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024 Much like his 19th century predecessors, protection offers Trump an appeal to diverse constituencies: manufacturing interests, union laborers, declining industrial towns in swing states, voters without college educations and access to tech jobs. Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 The man in the photograph is the New Jersey representative Andy Kim, a House Democrat who had not only won a Trump-leaning district in 2018 but convinced his constituency to split the ticket and reelect him two years later. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 Asian Americans are a quickly growing political constituency that made a difference in 2020 in swing states such as Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, helping elect President Joe Biden. Pawan Dhingra, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for constituency 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'constituency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see constitute

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of constituency was in 1831

Dictionary Entries Near constituency

Cite this Entry

“Constituency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituency. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

constituency

noun
con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈstich-(ə-)wən-sē How to pronounce constituency (audio)
plural constituencies
1
: a body of citizens having the right to elect a representative to a legislature
2
: the people living in an electoral district
3
: an electoral district

Legal Definition

constituency

noun
con·​stit·​u·​en·​cy kən-ˈsti-chə-wən-sē How to pronounce constituency (audio)
plural constituencies
1
: a body of citizens entitled to elect a representative (as to a legislative or executive office)
2
: the residents in an electoral district
3
: an electoral district

More from Merriam-Webster on constituency

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