construct

verb

con·struct | \ kən-ˈstrəkt

constructed; constructing; constructs

Definition of construct

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

construct

noun

con·struct | \ ˈkän-ˌstrəkt

Definition of construct (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : something constructed by the mind: such as

a : a theoretical entity … the deductive study of abstract constructs …— 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

Other Words from construct Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about construct

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Other Words from construct

Verb

constructability or less commonly constructibility \ kən-ˌstrək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

constructable or constructible \ kən-ˈstrək-tə-bəl

\ adjective

constructor \ kən-ˈstrək-tər

\ noun

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

Other strategies, such as constructing barriers, shooting the animals with rubber buckshot and scaring them with firecrackers, have had little effect. — Ryan Sabalow, sacbee, "To protect salmon in the Columbia, will we have to kill more sea lions?," 6 July 2018 You are forced to make the impossible decision of constructing your own menstrual products, using anything from clothing or notebook paper in place of a tampon. — Emily Bloch, Teen Vogue, "Maine Politician Said Ensuring Free Pads and Tampons Would Make Jails Like a "Country Club"," 19 Mar. 2019 Only a few old-timers still possess the knack of constructing a wannigan that will survive the log drives. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Art of Floating Logs Down the River," 16 Feb. 2019 The property is actually a patchwork of 17 lots with six residential tracts that afford the possibility of constructing up to six houses of 50,000 square feet each, a total of 300,000 square feet. — Alex Bhattacharji, Town & Country, "An Empty Lot Above Beverly Hills Is the Most Expensive Real Estate in the World," 17 Jan. 2019 Known for constructing new homes and also renovating historic ones, the couple turned their skills to their own Salisbury gem over 20 years ago. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Picture-perfect 1880 estate on 60 acres asks $3.9M," 20 Dec. 2018 Under the sea Reef is a competitive game for one to four players about constructing coral reefs to score points. — Aaron Zimmerman, Ars Technica, "Abstract board games are all the rage—and Reef is the year’s best," 17 Nov. 2018 The company now plans to build its first fully operational hyperloop, most likely in India, where the government is interested in constructing a hyperloop in the Pune-Mumbai region. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, "Virgin Hyperloop One taps Citi Bike’s Jay Walder as new CEO," 8 Nov. 2018 Basu said the scenarios’ cost estimates take Towson’s situation into account: In calculations, Sage used the higher cost of constructing a new school in pieces, while students were in classrooms inside other parts of it. — Libby Solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Firm presents 7 scenarios to address Balto. Co. high school overcrowding; all include new Towson High," 13 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Each one paired to a particular Stark child, with the fate of each bound together (making the death of Sansa's direwolf, Lady, at the hands of evil Joffrey huge foreshadowing into her fate, for example) was a gorgeous and meaningful construct. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Will the Direwolves Come Back on 'Game of Thrones'?," 12 May 2019 In 1933, when the connection between the U.S. dollar and gold was effectively severed, cash truly became just a paper construct. — Town & Country, "Is This the End of Cash?," 28 Jan. 2019 But while this can be a splendidly fantastical apocalyptic framework, with lots of room for fascinating world-building, in The Meg, that construct is set aside pretty rapidly. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Jason Statham and a colossal shark can’t save The Meg from a lifeless existence," 9 Aug. 2018 Yet Bosnia and Herzegovina, the broken country patched together in 1995 at the end of the war, remains a fragile construct, riven by corruption, weak leadership, and ethnic and nationalist strains among communities — a metaphor for the Balkans. — Steven Erlanger, New York Times, "In a New Cold War With Russia, Balkans Become a Testing Ground," 10 Apr. 2018 Forget the societal constructs and norms, what the world is trying to tell you to do. — Amanda Duarte, Town & Country, "An Etiquette Guide for the New Pot Elite," 14 Jan. 2019 As a body activist within the industry, shaking up social constructs and re-defining beauty ideals will always be a part of her day-to-day on the job as well as off, with 7.8 million followers looking out for her next #BeautyBeyondSize post. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "From Makeup Tricks to Simple Self-Care Tips, Ashley Graham's Stress-Free Guide to Holiday Vacation Packing," 8 Dec. 2018 Thus, once this gene-drive construct starts to spread, every mosquito is likely to either spread it further or be sterile. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Gene drive used to turn all female mosquitos sterile," 27 Sep. 2018 This elaborate construct may help the DNC chairman save face, but only by sacrificing clarity and hampering voters’ understanding of campaign finance. — Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, "Tom Perez’s claim that DNC broke fundraising records in January," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'construct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.