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

Pelican Builders’ principal, Robert Bland, who has developed, constructed, and sold gated communities throughout the inner Loop, is also well-known for his construction in vertical living. — Valerie Sweeten, Houston Chronicle, "Condo Life: Behind the scenes with Pelican Builders," 11 Aug. 2019 The university is also constructing a 17-story residential tower in the Five Points South entertainment district. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Down goes the worst college football facility in the country, a former dentist office," 10 Aug. 2019 Super-Earths might be born from dust and rocks, and be kept small by a lack of suitable material from which to grow, while mini-Neptunes, constructed of commoner materials such as ice, can grow much larger. — The Economist, "Astronomers are probing faraway planets with greater sophistication," 3 Aug. 2019 Glastonbury will construct a 4,400-foot ribbon of sidewalk along Main Street into South Glastonbury — the last remaining gap from South Glastonbury to East Hartford. — Peter Marteka, courant.com, "A list of all the Glastonbury projects moving forward this summer, early fall," 31 July 2019 But even these biased memories are being constructed and reconstructed all the time, amended, augmented, sometimes even disregarded. — Viktor Mayer-schönberger, The Conversation, "The internet is rotting – let’s embrace it," 25 July 2019 With incredible narrative skill and poetic sensibility, the story seeks the truth without taking the fun out of Redbone’s painstakingly constructed identity; more proof that poets often make the best prose writers. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Those Limits Were Not Hindrances: An Interview with Megan Pugh," 25 June 2019 The California law requiring such features as fire-resistant windows and ember-blocking vents applies to homes constructed since 2008, meaning most residences and other structures aren’t compelled to be fire-safe. — Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Can California avoid a third year of fire catastrophe? Here’s what’s been fixed — and what hasn’t," 20 June 2019 Maricopa County still is accepting bids to construct the shelter, Santiago said. — Rocky Baier, azcentral, "Maricopa County's Mesa animal shelter to remain under quarantine until July 1," 19 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

My mind touches daily on the work done in that room—on the lens that Morrison made for examining constructs of blackness in the American imagination. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "The Indelible Substance of a Semester with Toni Morrison," 7 Aug. 2019 Camci-Unal hopes that one day the material could be mixed with a patient’s own cells and applied to a 3D construct to grow into an implant of the correct shape and size. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "How Scientists Are Using Eggshells to Grow New Bone," 18 July 2019 The only truth to emerge is that truth itself is a construct of the conflicting interests of politicians, the entitled, the disenfranchised, the media, the guilty, and the innocent. — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, "In Focus: Some truth about true crime," 11 July 2019 My choice to identify as non-binary is used to constantly disrupt gender constructs and gender norms. — Essence, "Indya Moore Makes History At Essence Festival 2019," 7 July 2019 Kingsbury’s offense will spread it out and move quickly, an ideal construct for a do-it-all running back who can break big plays on the ground and through the air. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Fantasy Football: David Johnson, Kenyan Drake Among Early 2019 Bounceback Candidates," 14 June 2019 However, both are social constructs used to categorize and characterize seemingly distinct populations. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Race and ethnicity: How are they different?," 12 June 2019 So what would an alternative construct look like, a new philosophy of knowledge to inform our politics for these troubled times? — R.c., The Economist, "The political nausea when feelings replace facts," 21 June 2019 Regardless, the lost coat, a physical object, couldn’t offer clarity about my identity, a personal construct. — Aram Mrjoian, Longreads, "Bearing the Weight of My Grandfathers’ Old Clothes," 15 June 2019

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.