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
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 Use their prop bet builder to construct Hail Mary wagers with just a few clicks or create same-game parlays that ride on a single lucky pass. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 The building was constructed in 1910, and there are 28 residences in the six-story complex. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 When the Providence Place Mall was constructed in the late ’90s, it was touted by Rhode Island leaders as a sign of urban renewal for its struggling capital city. Brent Lang, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 There will also be opportunities to construct and race your own car down tracks spanning 35 feet. Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Having chosen to split A Storm of Swords across two seasons, the showrunners were able to construct a 10-episode sequence that kicks off at a precipice moment post-Red Wedding. Darren Franich, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Four East Bay districts are proposing bond measures to raise money to construct or rehabilitate education facilities. East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
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 Femininity was understood to be a cultural construct, a masquerade, and Sherman’s photographs were considered exemplary of this turn. Nancy Princenthal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024

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 19 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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