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 WebTim Carman, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
President Luis Abinader announced the Dominican Republic will shut all of its land, air and sea frontiers with Haiti starting Friday morning, amid a festering dispute over Haiti's plans to construct a canal off a river that separates the two countries.
—Widlore Mérancourt, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023
This means that topper is constructed by Moncler, a brand synonymous with the style, a brand that consistently offers pieces of the highest quality, a brand that instantly imparts cachet.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2023
Over the past decade, the main goal of the Chinese film industry has been to construct the market, build solid foundations for this market.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
Planning and constructing the playground had been more than a year in the making.
—Beth Mlady, cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023
The loose-fitting cardigan is constructed with a soft, featherweight fabric complete with four-way stretch for optimal comfort—a requisite when picking the perfect plane outfit for your next long-haul flight.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2023
Lightness at Carolina Herrera, in a straight sequined skirt sliced up the back and paired with a black shirt, and in a lemon yellow skirt constructed from four layers of tulle but no crinolines.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
At the end of the project, around 25 artists, who all had ties to North Texas, constructed 53 tiny doors.
—Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
Alice Park, Time, 23 June 2023
And even then, fixing flaws in these digital constructs — whose inner workings are neither wholly trustworthy nor fully fathomed even by their creators — will take time and millions of dollars.
—Frank Bajak, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2023
This, plus Cloud’s regular-guy body language and voice, transformed Fez from a writer’s construct into a working-class antihero, at once life-size and iconic, like an early Marlon Brando character or the vulnerable brutes Ben Foster plays in modern crime thrillers.
—Vulture, 8 Aug. 2023
Put another way, race and ethnicity are social and political constructs.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 30 May 2023
Regarding one such question — whether unseen phenomena like quarks and electrons were real or merely the theoretical constructs of physicists — Professor Hacking argued for reality in the case of phenomena that figured in experiments.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 28 May 2023
Race and ethnicity are shoddy constructs encompassing disparate individuals, each with their own unique experiences and points of view.
—J.p Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023
Like money as a construct or corporations as a construct.
—Gideon Lichfield, WIRED, 2 Aug. 2023
From Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Rick and Morty to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these theoretical constructs allow characters to zip between distant points in the universe as easy as stepping through a doorway.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2023
See More
Verb
The Upside plant in the Chicago area will cost more than $140 million to construct, according to spokeswoman Brooke Whitney.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023
President Luis Abinader announced the Dominican Republic will shut all of its land, air and sea frontiers with Haiti starting Friday morning, amid a festering dispute over Haiti's plans to construct a canal off a river that separates the two countries.
—Widlore Mérancourt, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Sep. 2023
This means that topper is constructed by Moncler, a brand synonymous with the style, a brand that consistently offers pieces of the highest quality, a brand that instantly imparts cachet.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2023
Over the past decade, the main goal of the Chinese film industry has been to construct the market, build solid foundations for this market.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 14 Sep. 2023
Planning and constructing the playground had been more than a year in the making.
—Beth Mlady, cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023
The loose-fitting cardigan is constructed with a soft, featherweight fabric complete with four-way stretch for optimal comfort—a requisite when picking the perfect plane outfit for your next long-haul flight.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2023
Lightness at Carolina Herrera, in a straight sequined skirt sliced up the back and paired with a black shirt, and in a lemon yellow skirt constructed from four layers of tulle but no crinolines.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
At the end of the project, around 25 artists, who all had ties to North Texas, constructed 53 tiny doors.
—Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
Noun
That genetic construct is the backbone of Sarepta’s gene therapy for Duchenne, which patients receive in a single injection.
—Alice Park, Time, 23 June 2023
And even then, fixing flaws in these digital constructs — whose inner workings are neither wholly trustworthy nor fully fathomed even by their creators — will take time and millions of dollars.
—Frank Bajak, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2023
This, plus Cloud’s regular-guy body language and voice, transformed Fez from a writer’s construct into a working-class antihero, at once life-size and iconic, like an early Marlon Brando character or the vulnerable brutes Ben Foster plays in modern crime thrillers.
—Vulture, 8 Aug. 2023
Put another way, race and ethnicity are social and political constructs.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 30 May 2023
Regarding one such question — whether unseen phenomena like quarks and electrons were real or merely the theoretical constructs of physicists — Professor Hacking argued for reality in the case of phenomena that figured in experiments.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 28 May 2023
Race and ethnicity are shoddy constructs encompassing disparate individuals, each with their own unique experiences and points of view.
—J.p Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023
Like money as a construct or corporations as a construct.
—Gideon Lichfield, WIRED, 2 Aug. 2023
From Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Rick and Morty to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these theoretical constructs allow characters to zip between distant points in the universe as easy as stepping through a doorway.
—Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 26 July 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 23 Sep. 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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