construction

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noun con·struc·tion \kən-ˈstrək-shən\

Definition of construction

1 : the act or result of construing, interpreting, or explaining
2a : the process, art, or manner of constructing something Construction of the new bridge will begin in the spring.; also : a thing constructedb : the construction industry working in construction
3 : the arrangement and connection of words or groups of words in a sentence : syntactical arrangement That verb is often used in passive constructions.
4 : a sculpture that is put together out of separate pieces of often disparate materials

constructional

play \kən-ˈstrək-shnəl, -shə-n^əl\ adjective

constructionally

adverb

See construction defined for English-language learners

See construction defined for kids

Examples of construction in a Sentence

Construction of the new bridge will begin in the spring.
Construction on the bridge will occur daily from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
Note the similar construction of the buildings.
Some people think it is wrong to end a sentence with a preposition, but the construction is quite common in English.
That verb is commonly used in passive constructions.
This word is used in positive constructions.

Recent Examples of construction from the Web

Developers hope to start construction by the first quarter of 2018, Lopez said.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Wary of low income housing, neighbors express opposition to Rock Spring retail, apartment complex," 20 July 2017
Construction on the shopping center started early this year.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Wawa opening first two Broward stores on July 27," 19 July 2017
Design and construction of the expansion is being overseen by Kajima Building & Design Group, which also was responsible for the 2010 addition to the GC America headquarters, which added 20,000 square feet to the building.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "GC America groundbreaking in Alsip departs from tradition, includes purification of grounds," 19 July 2017
Proponents of an increase say the revenue from Alabama's 18-cents-per-gallon gas tax has not kept pace with the cost inflation of road maintenance and construction.

— mike cason, AL.com, "Could lawmakers raise Alabama's gasoline tax during an election year?," 18 July 2017
According to Juarez, the Venezuelan government financed Humala’s 2006 campaign while Brazilian construction companies Odebrecht SA and Construtora OAS financed the 2011 campaign.

— john quigley, Bloomberg.com, "Peru's Ex-President Ordered Jailed Pending Corruption Trial," 14 July 2017
Both the creation of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline and an economic boom resulting from state and private spending on construction and infrastructure caused the state's working-class economy to swell in the late 20th Century.

— tonya riley, Esquire, "What It Means to Be a Working-Class Clothing Brand in America Today," 14 July 2017
Construction on the wall Donald Trump made central to his presidential campaign—

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Trump Wants a “Transparent” Border Wall to Prevent Injuries from Falling “Sacks of Drugs”," 13 July 2017
Construction of the Erie Canal began in the year ____________.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: High-Stakes Hearing," 12 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of construction

see ¹construct

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

CONSTRUCTION Defined for English Language Learners

construction

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noun

Definition of construction for English Language Learners

: the act or process of building something (such as a house or road)
: the business of building things (such as houses or roads)
: the way something is built or made

CONSTRUCTION Defined for Kids

construction

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noun con·struc·tion \kən-ˈstrək-shən\

Definition of construction for Students

1 : the process, art, or manner of building something
2 : something built or put together : structure a flimsy construction
3 : the arrangement of words and the relationship between words in a sentence

Law Dictionary

construction

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noun con·struc·tion \kən-ˈstrək-shən\

Legal Definition of construction

: the act or result of construing, interpreting, or explaining meaning or effect (as of a statute or contract) the construction placed upon an agreement — J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo