Did you know?
Construe comes from the Latin verb construere, meaning "to construct." There is also misconstrue, meaning "to put a wrong construction (that is, a wrong interpretation) on" or "to misinterpret."
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.
Examples of construe in a Sentence
Katie Stockton, CNBC, 12 May 2025
Historically, the use of scientific consensus as a method of understanding scientific postures has been relatively popular and construed as the standard way of doing things.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
With a Svengali-like sense of purpose, Gene suggests that Henry put the counselor’s trustworthiness to the test, artfully construing a way to get their hands on a gun.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025
In your mind, construe the thinking time as simply the processing time, thanks.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for construe
Cite this Entry
“Construe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/construe. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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