constituent
/kənˈstɪtʃuənt/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈstɪtʃuənt/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈsti-chə-wənt -ˈstich-, -ˈsti-chü-ənt/ (ame, mw) · /kənˈstɪtʃ.u.ənt/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈstɪtʃ.u.ənt/ (ame, ipa)
constituent — 名詞
- constituentsingular
- constituentsplural
1. a single substance or element that, together with others, forms a mixture, compo
成分
構成混合物或物質的單一成分
a single substance or element that, together with others, forms a mixture, compound, or combination of materials
Reema separated the mixture into its individual constituents using a filter.
Reema 用濾紙將混合物分離成個別的成分。
constituent + of [mixture/substance]
Oxygen is a major constituent of the air we breathe every day.
氧氣是我們每天呼吸的空氣中的主要成分。
The chemist identified three active constituents in the plant extract.
那位化學家在植物萃取物中鑑定出三種活性成分。
Calcium is an important constituent of healthy bones and teeth.
鈣是健康骨骼和牙齒的重要成分。
- component
suggests a discrete assembled part; more common for machines and systems
- element
more basic or fundamental; often used for abstract systems or the periodic table
- ingredient
suggests something mixed in cooking or manufacturing; less formal
用法筆記
Common in scientific writing about chemistry and biology. Unlike 'component,' which suggests a manufactured part that can be detached, 'constituent' is used for substances that are mixed or combined — you could remove a component but not a constituent.
常見錯誤
2. anyone entitled to vote for the elected official who represents their local elec
選民
居住在選區並有投票權的人
anyone entitled to vote for the elected official who represents their local electoral district
Léa wrote to her MP about housing policy as a concerned constituent.
Léa 以選民的身分寫信給當地的國會議員，關心新的住房政策。
constituent refers to a person represented by an elected official
Over two hundred constituents attended the town hall meeting to ask Senator Park about the new hospital plan.
超過兩百位選民出席市民大會，向 Park 參議員詢問新醫院的計畫。
The council asked each constituent to vote on the new public transport plan.
市議會請每位選民就新的公共運輸計畫投票。
Constanza visited her representative's office to discuss the local park renovation.
Constanza 前往議員辦公室討論當地公園的整修事宜。
- representative
the elected person who acts on behalf of constituents
- politician
someone who stands for election rather than someone who votes
用法筆記
A constituent is always a person represented by an elected official. You are a constituent of your local MP, councillor, or representative — not of a country or city in general. The official represents the constituency, and the people living there are its constituents.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The constituent voted for the new mayor and also paid taxes.' (unnecessary addition) — 'Constituent' already implies a voter; you do not need to add 'voter' to it.
3. a word or group of words that acts as a single grammatical building-block within
語法成分
構成較大語法結構的語言單位
a word or group of words that acts as a single grammatical building-block within a larger sentence — for example, the noun phrase 'my younger sister' works as one unit that can be moved or replaced as a whole
In grammar class, the teacher showed how 'the cat' forms one constituent in 'The cat sat on the mat.'
在文法課上，老師以「The cat sat on the mat」為例說明「the cat」如何構成一個語法成分。
noun phrase as a constituent — classroom demonstration
Professor Okonkwo asked his class to identify each constituent in 'The old woman waited for the bus in the rain.'
Okonkwo 教授要求班上同學找出句子「The old woman waited for the bus in the rain」中的每個語法成分。
constituent identification in a specific sentence — linguistics classroom
During her linguistics class, Indra identified five constituents in the sentence 'The young boy threw the red ball.'
在語言學課上，Indra 從句子「The young boy threw the red ball」中找出五個語法成分。
Sahil wrote a paper on how children identify sentence constituents when learning to speak.
Sahil 寫了一篇論文，探討兒童在學習說話時如何辨識句子中的語法成分。
用法筆記
Technical term in linguistics and grammar analysis. Often appears in the set phrase 'immediate constituent (IC) analysis,' a method introduced by structural linguists for breaking sentences into their largest natural chunks.
常見錯誤
constituent — 形容詞
- constituentpositive
- more constituentcomparative
- most constituentsuperlative
1. forming part of a larger whole by combining with other elements or substances
組成；構成
構成整體一部分的
forming part of a larger whole by combining with other elements or substances
The engineer carefully checked each constituent part of the engine before assembly.
工程師在組裝前仔細檢查了引擎的每個組成零件。
constituent + part — always before a noun
Water is a constituent element of almost every living cell on Earth.
水是地球上幾乎所有活細胞的組成元素。
Mei-Lin's team report broke the budget shortfall into its constituent factors for detailed analysis.
Mei-Lin 的團隊報告將預算缺口拆解成數個構成因素進行詳細分析。
Tunde studied the constituent compounds in the soil sample from the farm.
Tunde 研究了農場土壤樣本中的構成化合物。
- component
more common for assembled mechanical parts; interchangeable in many contexts
- integral
emphasises that the part is essential, not just present
- compositional
more technical; used in academic writing about structure
用法筆記
Always used before a noun — this is an attributive adjective only. You can write 'constituent elements' but NOT 'the elements are constituent.' For predicative use, rephrase: 'the elements that constitute the whole.'
常見錯誤
2. associated with the voting residents of an electoral district and their relation
選民的
與選民或選區事務有關的
associated with the voting residents of an electoral district and their relationship with their elected representative
The senator held a constituent meeting at the local community centre.
該參議員在當地社區中心舉辦了一場選民座談會。
constituent + meeting — common political phrase
The local MP gathered constituent feedback through an online survey and phone calls before the housing vote.
在住房法案表決前，當地國會議員透過線上問卷與電話訪談蒐集選民的意見。
constituent feedback — MP gathering voter opinions before a legislative vote
The MP's constituent service team helped over two hundred residents last year.
該國會議員的選民服務團隊去年幫助了超過兩百位居民。
Heather works for the constituent services office, helping residents connect with their local MP.
Heather 在選民服務辦公室工作，協助居民與當地的國會議員聯絡。
- representative
relating to the elected official rather than the voters
- governmental
relating to the government as a whole, not the voters it represents
用法筆記
Always before a noun. Typically found in fixed phrases about political representation: 'constituent meeting,' 'constituent service(s),' 'constituent feedback.' Do not use this adjective to describe the voters themselves (that is the noun form).
常見錯誤
3. endowed with authority to draft, adopt, or amend the supreme legal framework of
制憲的
有權制定或修改憲法的
endowed with authority to draft, adopt, or amend the supreme legal framework of a state or other entity
A constituent assembly was elected to draft the country's new constitution.
制憲議會經由選舉產生，負責起草國家的新憲法。
constituent assembly — fixed political term
The nation held elections for a constituent congress to rewrite the charter.
該國舉行了制憲國會選舉，以重新制定憲章。
Naoko read about Japan's 1947 constituent assembly while writing a university essay on constitutional law.
Naoko 在撰寫憲法學的大學報告時，閱讀了關於日本 1947 年制憲會議的資料。
The constituent convention will begin its work in the capital next January.
制憲會議將於明年一月在首都開始運作。
- constitutional
broader: relates to any constitutional matter, not just the act of creating one
- founding
suggests the initial establishment of a system, similar core idea
- legislative
relates to making ordinary laws, not the constitution itself
- executive
relates to enforcing laws, not creating the governing framework
用法筆記
Almost exclusively restricted to a small set of political phrases: 'constituent assembly,' 'constituent power,' 'constituent congress,' and 'constituent convention.' Do not use this sense for everyday situations — if you are not discussing constitution-making, the correct adjective sense is either 'FORMING PART' or 'OF VOTERS.'