constitutum

Constitutum is a Latin term derived from the verb constituere, meaning to set up, establish, or fix. In Latin grammar, constitutum is the neuter singular form of the perfect passive participle and is used both as an adjective and, in medieval and early modern Latin, as a substantive. As an adjective, it describes something that has been established or fixed; as a substantive, constitutum often denotes a formal act, ordinance, decree, or regulation issued by an authority.

In classical and medieval legal and administrative writing, constitutum frequently appears in contexts where a decision or arrangement has been formally established. It may function within a document to indicate that a certain rule or arrangement has been made, fixed, or authorized by proper authority. The term is not the standard Latin designation for a modern constitution; that sense is usually conveyed by constitutio or similar forms in later Latin.

In scholarly work, constitutum is encountered when analyzing Latin decrees and acts, and it helps distinguish the status of a matter that has been established from the ongoing institution or body that governs it. The form and usage can vary by manuscript and period, reflecting the transitional Latin of legal, ecclesiastical, and administrative texts.

Related terms include constitutio, which specifically denotes a constitution or formal ordinance in Latin. Constitutum thus captures the moment of establishment or fixation, rather than the enduring institution as such.