construe

verb con·strue \ kən-ˈstrü \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of construe

construed; construing

1 : to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part)

construe this Latin sentence by Cicero

2 : to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances

construed my actions as hostile

Her frustration was construed as anger.

intransitive verb

: to construe a sentence or sentence part especially in connection with translating

—

construable

play \kən-ˈstrü-ə-bəl\ adjective

See construe defined for English-language learners

See construe defined for kids

construe was our Word of the Day on 07/03/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of construe in a Sentence

The way the court construes various words has changed over time.
the role of the justices of the Supreme Court in construing the constitution

Recent Examples of construe from the Web

That might have been construed as running afoul of a law that prohibits local governments from restricting the sharing of people’s immigration status with federal immigration authorities.

— matt zapotosky, Washington Post, "Justice Dept., West Palm Beach settle lawsuit over sanctuary cities crackdown," 27 Mar. 2018
This context led the CDC to worry about what could be construed as advocating for gun control, given that studies that simply showed observable risks to gun ownership led to such backlash.

— german lopez, Vox, "Congress’s spending deal has a small victory for gun violence research," 22 Mar. 2018
One change specifies that nothing in the bill should be construed as affecting the Fed's rules for foreign bank oversight.

— jim puzzanghera, latimes.com, "Lawmakers revise financial deregulation bill to try to blunt criticisms and assure House passage," 8 Mar. 2018
Church members can use the building's washrooms and enter after service to make their offerings, but no worship or fellowship activities — anything that could be construed as congregating inside — are being permitted.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Markham church members still without a home," 31 Mar. 2018
That legislation was prompted by a concern that the federal tax bill could be construed as eliminating such exemptions, which benefit about 92 percent of Maryland taxpayers.

— michael dresser, baltimoresun.com, "Despite assurances, 9 percent of Maryland taxpayers are likely to pay more for 2018," 27 Mar. 2018
In past seasons, a ticket to a Deer Park game may have been construed as a punishment.

— scott springer, Cincinnati.com, "Springer: What a difference a year makes for Moeller, Deer Park," 25 Mar. 2018
The members didn't question the plan's merits, but there was concern the idea would be construed outside of our community, perhaps in the media, as being too far outside the box.

— david thweatt, Anchorage Daily News, "I’m a superintendent. My school district decided to arm teachers.," 23 Mar. 2018
Not least because since Xi’s eponymous political thought was added to the constitution, challenging him could be construed as treasonous.

— charlie campbell / beijing, Time, "'More Opposition in Mao's Time.' Why China's Xi Jinping May Have to Rule for Life," 12 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

Construe can usually be translated as "interpret". It's often used in law; thus, an Attorney General might construe the term "serious injury" in a child-abuse law to include bruises, or a judge might construe language about gifts to "heirs" to include spouses. The IRS's construal of some of your activities might be different from your own—and much more expensive at tax time. Construing is also close to translating; so when the British say "public school", for instance, it should be construed or translated as "prep school" in American terms.