construct

1 of 2

verb

con·​struct kən-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
constructed; constructing; constructs

transitive verb

1
: to make or form by combining or arranging parts or elements : build
construct a bridge
also : contrive, devise
construct a plan
2
: to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under specified conditions
Construct a regular hexagon with sides 3 inches long.
3
: to set in logical order
constructability noun
or less commonly constructibility
constructable adjective
or constructible
constructor noun

construct

2 of 2

noun

con·​struct ˈkän-ˌstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
1
: something constructed by the mind: such as
a
: a theoretical entity
… the deductive study of abstract constructsDaniel J. Boorstin
b
: a working hypothesis or concept
The unconscious was a construct that came from the daily effort to understand patients.
2
: a product of ideology, history, or social circumstances
Privacy is more than a social construct or an idea; it is a condition of the body.Sallie Tisdale

Examples of construct in a Sentence

Verb They plan to construct a barn behind the house. The author constructs all the stories around one theme. Construct a triangle that has sides of equal length. Noun He argues that time is a subjective construct with no objective existence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
China also claims the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, where the tunnel was constructed, as its own, even as the area has long functioned as Indian territory. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 The ancient Roman fort was constructed in the third century A.D. to protect the city, the city said in a March 21 Facebook post. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Its skull is constructed of roof-like bones, in contrast to the thin and strut-like bones of modern amphibians. Fox News, 22 Mar. 2024 Maximalist design has to be constructed intentionally, Klemm said. The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024 In the early days of Pawhuska, the bridge, constructed in 1926, was the only means by which travelers could cross Bird Creek to get into town. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 The United States has joined other countries in airdropping supplies into northern Gaza and has announced separate plans to construct a pier to get aid in. Aid groups said the airdrops and sea shipments are far less efficient than trucks in delivering the huge amounts of aid needed. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 Banners and signs are allowed at Footprint Center, but they must be constructed of flame-retardant material. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024 The cost of designing and constructing the new museum and its exhibits is estimated at $200 million, Censky said Tuesday. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
Art Mazor, Deloitte's Global Human Capital Practice Leader, believes that to overcome the gap between knowing and doing, leaders will need to let go of the mindsets, operating constructs, and proxies of the past. Lindsay Kohler, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Lauren and Jrue Holiday wanted to help and inspire others while affecting change to social and economic constructs. Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 Linking existing hardware into a network is much faster than building individual constructs in specific locations. Victoria Chynoweth, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Sports provides a comfortable, familiar construct in which the outcomes are unpredictable. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 19 Jan. 2024 Observing the moon was probably the first way that people conceptualized this quintessentially human construct. Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2024 The old ways of doctor-patient relationships will gradually give way to the new construct of doctor-AI-patient relationships. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The entire construct of the CRM — which was explored in great detail on The Walking Dead: World Beyond spinoff series and will employ drastic measures to rebuild humanity — provides a far different foe than a single baseball bat-wielding lunatic or zombie mask-wearing cult leader. EW.com, 13 Feb. 2024 Although the character of Paloma is based on an actual child prodigy, other student characters are composites, so the dynamic between her and Nico feels like a screenwriter’s construct. Pat Padua, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'construct.' 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

Verb and Noun

Latin constructus, past participle of construere, from com- + struere to build — more at structure

First Known Use

Verb

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of construct was in 1663

Dictionary Entries Near construct

Cite this Entry

“Construct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/construct. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

construct

verb
con·​struct
kən-ˈstrəkt
1
: to make or form by combining or arranging parts : build
2
: to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under given conditions
constructable adjective
or constructible
-ˈstrək-tə-bəl
constructor
-ˈstrək-tər
noun

Medical Definition

construct

noun
con·​struct ˈkän-ˌstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
: something constructed especially by mental synthesis
form a construct of a physical object by mentally assembling and integrating sense-data

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