reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən 
plural reconstructions
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the act or process of rebuilding, repairing, or restoring something
reconstruction efforts to repair hurricane damage
the reconstruction of the dam
the reconstruction of postwar Europe
b
Reconstruction in U.S. history
: the period from 1865 to 1877 in which the southern states that had seceded during the American Civil War rejoined the United States
c
medical
: repair of an organ or body part by reconstructive surgery
knee/ligament reconstruction
2
a
: the re-creation or reimagining of something from the past especially by using information acquired through research
the historical reconstruction of an ancient village
the newspaper's reconstruction of the events
b
: a technical process by which scientific principles and techniques are applied to physical evidence in order to create an accurate reenactment or understanding of a past occurrence or event (such as an accident)
technology used in crime scene reconstruction
Examples of reconstruction in a Sentence
the reconstruction of the dam
the reconstruction of postwar Europe
reconstruction of the health-care system
They were able to determine the cause of the accident by careful reconstruction of the events leading up to it.
The police staged a reconstruction of the crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
The reconstruction is an intricate puzzle involving tight scheduling and a complex ballet of stonecutters, painters, stained glass restorers, gold leaf decorators, steeplejacks, crane operators, organ cleaners and roof coverers.
—
Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The bridge is surrounded by nature, which was undisturbed by the reconstruction of the bridge.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
The facial reconstruction is detailed in a study published March 28 in the journal Current Biology.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Mar. 2024
The doctors must still insert implants into my jaw as a part of the reconstruction process.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024
The funding will be used for reconstruction of the McClellan Road Bridge, which is over 100 years old and has been poorly rated by Caltrans.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
The trail, which opened in 2019, first started as a reconstruction project of coastal damage but has grown into a tangible road of the resiliency of the region.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Several committee chairs approached lawmakers last week about other tweaks to consider, such as a provision to give the president the power to redirect seized Russian assets to Ukraine to use for reconstruction, according to multiple people familiar with the effort.
—Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
After closely examining the collision scene, accident reconstruction experts were able to conclude that the truck driver was speeding and acting carelessly.
—Kyle Russell, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2024
Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The bridge is surrounded by nature, which was undisturbed by the reconstruction of the bridge.
—Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 28 Mar. 2024
The facial reconstruction is detailed in a study published March 28 in the journal Current Biology.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Mar. 2024
The doctors must still insert implants into my jaw as a part of the reconstruction process.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024
The funding will be used for reconstruction of the McClellan Road Bridge, which is over 100 years old and has been poorly rated by Caltrans.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
The trail, which opened in 2019, first started as a reconstruction project of coastal damage but has grown into a tangible road of the resiliency of the region.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024
Several committee chairs approached lawmakers last week about other tweaks to consider, such as a provision to give the president the power to redirect seized Russian assets to Ukraine to use for reconstruction, according to multiple people familiar with the effort.
—Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
After closely examining the collision scene, accident reconstruction experts were able to conclude that the truck driver was speeding and acting carelessly.
—Kyle Russell, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reconstruction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reconstruction
Cite this Entry
“Reconstruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruction. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the state of being reconstructed
b
often capitalized
: the reorganization and reestablishment of the Confederate states in the Union after the American Civil War
2
: something reconstructed
Medical Definition
reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən
: repair of an organ or part by reconstructive surgery
breast reconstruction
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