construe

verb con·strue \ kən-ˈstrü \

Definition of construe

construed; construing

transitive verb

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

Fulham's capture of Portuguese left-back Rafa Soares on loan this week could be construed as a sign that the Championship club is willing to listen to offer for teenage star Ryan Sessegnon.

— SI.com, "Fulham's New Left-Back Could Be the Sign Cottagers Are Willing to Sell Ryan Sessegnon," 22 Aug. 2017
But since the 1990s, compromise by the opposition party has been frequently construed as weakness and betrayal.

— the tylt, AL.com, "Should Republicans work with Democrats to reform Obamacare?," 31 July 2017
But since the 1990s, compromise by the opposition party has been frequently construed as weakness and betrayal.

— the tylt, cleveland.com, "Should Republicans work with Democrats to reform Obamacare?," 31 July 2017
Rivera praised Gettleman but the coach also did not say anything that could be construed as disagreeing with owner Jerry Richardson’s decision to fire the GM on the eve of Carolina’s training camp in Spartanburg.

— scott fowler, charlotteobserver, "Panthers’ Ron Rivera talks about Dave Gettleman’s firing exclusively with Observer," 18 July 2017
Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and founder of his namesake firm, has been doing his damnedest to fend off accusations of alleged impropriety, even as news organizations attempt to dredge up anything that might be construed as an unseemly tie to the Kremlin.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "Russian Cyber Firm Kaspersky Aches Amid Strained U.S. Relations," 16 July 2017
So, if true, Kushner’s instinct was to get the president more deeply involved in the handling of evidence that may be construed as proof that his campaign colluded with Russia.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Jared Kushner Keeps Making the Russia Scandal So Much Worse," 14 July 2017
There was a slipup during a pep talk to kids last February that was construed as wildly sexist by some.

— george diaz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Jameis Winston breaks cliché mold with 'Greatest Ever' expectations," 9 July 2017
Adjustacam owned a patent on a camera that the court construed as rotating on a single axis, while the cameras sold by Newegg use a ball-and-socket joint that rotate on multiple axes.

— joe mullin, Ars Technica, "Newegg fought its way through two appeals to win fees from this patent-holder," 6 July 2017

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.