1) 품사 & 발음 · 활용
- 품사: 동사 (타동사)
- 발음: 영 /ˈkɒn.stɪ.tjuːt/, 미 /ˈkɑːn.stə.tuːt/
- 활용: constitute – constituted – constituted – constituting
2) 핵심 뜻(의미권별)
- 구성하다, ~을 이루다/차지하다 (make up, form)
- Women constitute 45% of the workforce.
- …에 해당하다, …이 되다 (amount to, be deemed as)
- His actions constitute a breach of contract.
- (공식적으로) 설립·수립하다 (establish, set up)
- A review board was constituted to investigate the case. (격식)
①은 부분→전체의 구성, ②는 법·규정상 판단, ③은 기관·기구 설립의 격식 용법.
3) 문형 & 문법 포인트
- A constitute(s) B: A가 모여 B를 이룬다
- Ten items constitute the basic kit.
- constitute + 명사: 법·규정상 “~에 해당하다”
- The remark constitutes harassment.
- be constituted (of/by): ~으로 구성되다(격식, 수동)
- The panel is constituted of five experts.
- 회화·일반문서에선 be composed of / consist of가 더 자연스러움
- 수치 진술: X constitutes Y% of …
- Renewables constitute 32% of total capacity.
4) 자주 쓰는 콜로케이션
- constitute a breach/offence/violation/threat/hazard/nuisance
- constitute evidence/grounds/basis/precedent
- constitute a committee/board/task force/panel
- X% constitute(s) … / the majority/minority constitute(s) …
5) 비슷한 표현 차이
- compose / be composed of: “(부분이) 전체를 구성하다/되다”. Parts compose the whole.
- consist of: 설명체, 수동 불가.
- comprise: 전통은 Whole comprises parts (수동 비권장)이나 현대 영어에서는 수동도 관용.
- make up: 구어·전방위 활용.
- constitute: 격식·법률·정책 문맥에 강함. 특히 ‘~에 해당하다’(②)에서 힘을 발휘.
6) 어원
- 라틴어 cōnstituere(함께 세우다, 정립하다: con- 함께 + statuere 세우다) → “세워 만들다”에서 “구성/수립/해당” 의미로 확장.
7) 예문(의미별)
A. 구성
- Freelancers constitute a growing share of the economy.
- These chapters constitute the core of the textbook.
B. 해당(법·규정)
- Sharing credentials constitutes a violation of company policy.
- Three late submissions constitute grounds for disqualification.
- The conduct may constitute discrimination under federal law.
C. 설립
- An independent commission was constituted in 2024 to review the case.
- A task force was constituted by the ministry.
8) 흔한 오류 & 팁
- ⛔ constitute of ~ (전치사 사용 금지) → ✅ Students constitute 30%
- ⛔ “선택하다” 의미 없음 → choose/adopt/select 사용
- ✅ “구성”을 평이하게 쓰고 싶으면 be composed of / consist of / make up로 대체
- ✅ 법·정책·규정 문구에서는 constitute가 가장 정확·격식 있음
9) 미니 대비 표
| 의미 | 가장 격식 | 일반적 | 구어적 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 구성 | constitute, comprise | be composed of, consist of | make up |
| 해당(법/규정) | constitute | amount to | — |
| 설립 | constitute | establish, set up | set up |
10) 빠른 템플릿
- X constitutes Y% of Z.
- Solar constitutes 18% of total generation.
- [행위/상황] constitutes [위반/위해/근거].
- Tampering constitutes a safety hazard.
- A body was constituted to [목적].
- A review panel was constituted to assess compliance.