construe

1 of 2

verb

con·​strue kən-ˈstrü How to pronounce construe (audio)
construed; construing

transitive verb

1
: 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.
2
: to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part)
construe this Latin sentence by Cicero

intransitive verb

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

construe

2 of 2

noun

con·​strue ˈkän-ˌstrü How to pronounce construe (audio)
: an act or the result of construing especially by piecemeal translation

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

Verb 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 on the Web
Verb
This material should not be construed as a recommendation, or advice or an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any investment. Katie Stockton, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2024 Mike Jay, a historian and the author of Psychonauts: Drugs and the Making of the Modern Mind, told me that the effects of a psychedelic analogue may be construed as either trips or side effects, depending on when and how people experience them. Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024 The material and information presented should not be relied upon or construed as professional advice. Veronica Ramirez, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 This material is for distribution in Singapore only and shall not be construed as an offer to sell or solicitation to buy or provision of any insurance product outside Singapore. Manulife Singapore, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for construe 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'construe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Late Latin construere, from Latin, to construct

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of construe was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near construe

Cite this Entry

“Construe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/construe. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

construe

verb
con·​strue
kən-ˈstrü
construed; construing
1
: to explain the grammatical relationships of the words in a sentence, clause, or phrase
2
: to understand or explain the sense or intention of : interpret
construable
-ˈstrü-ə-bəl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on construe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!