construct

verb con·struct \ kən-ˈstrəkt \

Definition of construct

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

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constructability

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

—

constructable

or constructible play \kən-ˈstrək-tə-bəl\ adjective

—

constructor

play \kən-ˈstrək-tər\ noun

See construct defined for English-language learners

See construct defined for kids

Examples of construct in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of construct from the Web

People scrambled in Long Branch to construct siding so his rail car could reach his cottage, with some 200 men helping push the car up an incline, Arrington said.

— Washington Post, "Trump not first president to vacation in New Jersey," 19 Aug. 2017
Constructed with steel from Cate's father's iron works in Baltimore and granite and fieldstone believed to be sourced from the Hudson Valley area, the castle consists of two stories of living space.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This Abandoned 1920s Castle Exists Right Here in the U.S.—and It's for Sale," 8 Aug. 2017
State officials have issued an open-ended solicitation to developers to construct a combination sports venue and entertainment complex off Crittenden Drive at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "State wants more sports and entertainment options near Kentucky Expo Center," 8 Aug. 2017
County officials long said the old shelter, constructed in 1982, was outdated and too small for the number of animals going through its doors.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Old animal shelter razed in Porter County," 2 Aug. 2017
There are hundreds of staff members in Russia, including workers constructing an embassy building in Moscow.

— bess levin, vanityfair.com, "Putin Turns on Trump as Congress Approves New Sanctions on Russia," 28 July 2017
Border Protection said in its bid that prototypes must be 30 feet tall, can’t be climbed and constructed to prevent digging below the wall for at least 6 feet.

— phillip molnar, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego border walls delayed until winter," 27 July 2017
China has begun constructing its first overseas military base in the African nation of Djibouti.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Antartica Just Lost a Massive Block of Ice," 12 July 2017
But a new study suggests that termites of the species Odontotermes obesus (pictured) are quite versatile, and may be able to use everything from wax to glass beads to construct mounds.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "These termites can use glass beads to build mounds," 12 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of construct

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1663

See Words from the same year

construct Synonyms

construct

noun con·struct \ ˈkän-ˌstrəkt \

Definition of construct

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

See construct defined for English-language learners

Examples of construct in a Sentence

He argues that time is a subjective construct with no objective existence.

Recent Examples of construct from the Web

This remains a fragile construct, with youngsters who might show their age, and pitchers whose health and/or consistency is still a concern.

— larry stone, The Seattle Times, "Mariners’ run into playoff contention seems to be sustainable with roster nearly fully healthy," 24 June 2017
What does this kind of metaverse or mixed-reality construct feel like?

— matt peckham, Time, "Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Talks About Microsoft's Mixed-Reality Future," 19 June 2017
Yet even by that standard history is littered with cautionary tales about banking on the pieces of such elaborate constructs to fall into place.

— brian lowry, CNN, "Studios catch monstrous case of franchise fever," 7 June 2017
To evaluate the fulfillment of those goals, the Center for Media and Democracy, which first alerted The Fix to the Daily Caller's business construct, analyzed the foundation's output for two separate weeks, one in January and one in March.

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "Charity doubles as a profit stream at the Daily Caller News Foundation," 2 June 2017
In 2017, global ideas about gender as a restrictive binary social construct are gradually breaking down.

— shirley manson, Billboard, "Shirley Manson: Love Letter to The LGBTQ Community," 1 June 2017
Setting up the idea of Western Reserve as a construct.

— laura johnston, cleveland.com, "What to expect in Western Reserve -- the 51st state?," 15 May 2017
As more rooftops spring up in an area, the city constructs looped water mains that provide redundancy or a backup in the event that something impedes the water flow, Jacobsen said.

— mike danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin considers $1.7 million water main project for Highland Woods," 9 May 2017
People are too often ignoring the complicated political realities and fashioning fantasy constructs of how various sects and factions are going to come together and live in harmony.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Progressives Need a New Foreign Policy Vision. This Democratic Senator Says He Has One.," 7 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of construct

see ¹construct

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1933

See Words from the same year

CONSTRUCT Defined for English Language Learners

construct

verb

Definition of construct for English Language Learners

: to build or make (something physical, such as a road, bridge, or building)
: to make or create (something, such as a story or theory) by organizing ideas, words, etc.
mathematics : to draw (a shape) according to a set of instructions or rules

construct

noun

Definition of construct for English Language Learners

: something (such as an idea or a theory) that is formed in people's minds

CONSTRUCT Defined for Kids

construct

verb con·struct \ kən-ˈstrəkt \

Definition of construct for Students

constructed; constructing

:to make or form by combining parts

construct a bridge

Word Root of construct

The Latin word struere, meaning “to build,” and its form structus give us the root struct. Words from the Latin struere have something to do with building. A structure is something that was built, such as a house. To construct is to build by combining parts together. To obstruct is to build an obstacle that blocks a passage or path. Destruction is the process of taking apart something that was built.