con·struct
kən-ˈstrəkt 
constructed; constructing; constructs
1
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
con·struct
ˈkän-ˌstrəkt
1
: something constructed by the mind: such as
a
: a theoretical entity
… the deductive study of abstract constructs …—
Daniel J. Boorstin
Daniel 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
Sallie Tisdale
Synonyms
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 WebPino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023
Every scene is well constructed, and pays off with either a laugh or a jump-scare.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
To shoot the films, the director had constructed a vast mock-up of a fictional Soviet research center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and populated it, Truman Show-like, with thousands of extras who lived there around the clock for years.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
The building was constructed mostly out of stone, glass and wood, Arkansas State Parks Director Shea Lewis said.
—Tony Holt, arkansasonline.com, 29 Nov. 2023
College Gardens was constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s on what had been a large swath of farmland.
—Jillian Atelsek, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
The base was constructed in the 1960s, when West Germany’s Army was rebuilding under Allied supervision during the Cold War.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
It’s constructed from alternating thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) and glass sitting on top of a silver reflective layer.
—Sid Assawaworrarit, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2023
In contrast to costly and delayed public projects, like California's high-speed rail, Brightline constructed its initial service between West Palm and Miami in just four years, on an existing freight line.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023
Conversation > Nazism and Communism are POLITICAL constructs and not religions although apparently the Pope in effect forgave the acts of Nazis against Jews to hope that Catholics would not be so treated.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023
Tying compensation terms to subscriber engagement levels is a new economic construct for a WGA contract, one that reflects the larger changes driven by streaming.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
Apparently, this vote is gonna just either further divide within the Republican construct in the House.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Jackson may not live in Los Angeles anymore, but her memories of these dead-end streets provided a surprising inroad into how intimacy is still a very abstract construct.
—Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Native Hawaiians believe that timelines are a very Western construct, and the best thing for you will happen to you at the best time.
—Annie Daly, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2023
But with each seemingly harmless makeover from her new friend Hazel, Nella loses pieces of herself, as she’s slowly molded into a more refined corporate construct — one more like Hazel.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
See More
Verb
How much is captured reality in the documentary and how much is constructed?
—Pino Gagliardi, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023
Every scene is well constructed, and pays off with either a laugh or a jump-scare.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
To shoot the films, the director had constructed a vast mock-up of a fictional Soviet research center in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and populated it, Truman Show-like, with thousands of extras who lived there around the clock for years.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
The building was constructed mostly out of stone, glass and wood, Arkansas State Parks Director Shea Lewis said.
—Tony Holt, arkansasonline.com, 29 Nov. 2023
College Gardens was constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s on what had been a large swath of farmland.
—Jillian Atelsek, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
The base was constructed in the 1960s, when West Germany’s Army was rebuilding under Allied supervision during the Cold War.
—Christopher F. Schuetze, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
It’s constructed from alternating thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) and glass sitting on top of a silver reflective layer.
—Sid Assawaworrarit, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2023
In contrast to costly and delayed public projects, like California's high-speed rail, Brightline constructed its initial service between West Palm and Miami in just four years, on an existing freight line.
—Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
Noun
So the next book is about race more as an economic construct.
—Rachel Hatzipanagos, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023
Conversation > Nazism and Communism are POLITICAL constructs and not religions although apparently the Pope in effect forgave the acts of Nazis against Jews to hope that Catholics would not be so treated.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 13 Oct. 2023
An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2023
Tying compensation terms to subscriber engagement levels is a new economic construct for a WGA contract, one that reflects the larger changes driven by streaming.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
Apparently, this vote is gonna just either further divide within the Republican construct in the House.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2023
Jackson may not live in Los Angeles anymore, but her memories of these dead-end streets provided a surprising inroad into how intimacy is still a very abstract construct.
—Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023
Native Hawaiians believe that timelines are a very Western construct, and the best thing for you will happen to you at the best time.
—Annie Daly, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2023
But with each seemingly harmless makeover from her new friend Hazel, Nella loses pieces of herself, as she’s slowly molded into a more refined corporate construct — one more like Hazel.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing construct
Dictionary Entries Near construct
Cite this Entry
“Construct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/construct. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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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
noun
-ˈstrək-tər
Medical Definition
construct
noun
con·struct
ˈkän-ˌstrəkt
: something constructed especially by mental synthesis
form a construct of a physical object by mentally assembling and integrating sense-data
More from Merriam-Webster on construct
Nglish: Translation of construct for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of construct for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about construct
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