frame

play

verb \ ˈfrām \

Definition of frame

framed; framing

transitive verb

1 :to construct by fitting and uniting the parts of the skeleton of (a structure)

frame a house

2 a :plan, contrive

framed a new method of achieving their purpose

b :shape, construct

frame a figure out of clay

c :to give expression to :formulate

frame a rule that brings order into our perceptions
—Virginia Woolf

d :to draw up (something, such as a document)

frame a written constitution

3 a :to devise (something, such as a criminal charge) falsely

frame a case against a neighbor to get rid of him

b :to contrive the evidence against (an innocent person) so that a verdict of guilty is assured

He claims that he was framed for the murder.

c :fix 7b

The wrestling matches were framed.

4 :to fit or adjust especially to something or for an end :arrange

framed the test to evaluate students' understanding of the material

5 obsolete :produce

6 :to enclose in a frame

frame a picture

; also :to enclose as if in a frame

a face framed in a wealth of auburn hair

intransitive verb

1 archaic :proceed, go

2 obsolete :manage

—

framable

or frameable play \ˈfrā-mə-bəl\ adjective

—

framer

noun

See frame defined for English-language learners

See frame defined for kids

Examples of frame in a Sentence

It was the first state to frame a written constitution.
She framed her questions carefully.
He took the time to frame a thoughtful reply.
She claims that she was framed.

Recent Examples of frame from the Web

That is, fasten plywood to wall framing and the header above the window.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Homeowner's Last-Minute Hurricane Prep Checklist," 25 Aug. 2017
As with his effort to rein in North Korea’s nuclear program, the secretary of state framed the solution to Afghanistan as a regional problem that needs the involvement of many countries, not just the U.S.

— nick wadhams, Bloomberg.com, "Tillerson Pushes Pakistan to Get Taliban to the Negotiating Table," 22 Aug. 2017
White supremacists and Confederate apologists want other white people to join them in their half-baked fantasies of the antebellum South—plantations with white columns, dirt roads framed with Spanish moss, hoop skirts and mint juleps.

— virgie townsend, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Am a Descendant of Slaveholders. Charlottesville Demands My Honesty About White Supremacy.," 17 Aug. 2017
In the living room of her new place, framed photos of a beaming Q rest on every surface.

— tessa weinberg, The Courier-Journal, "‘Seeing blood on the walls’: Mother of 7-year-old killed by stray bullet struggles with private heartache," 16 Aug. 2017
Trump’s drive to twist science to frame his political objectives is linked to his wider worldview, which is frenzied, inconsistent, and relentlessly aggressive towards those who veer outside his thin roster of American archetypes.

— isobel thompson, vanityfair.com, "Damning Federal Climate Report Leaked Before Trump Can Suppress It," 8 Aug. 2017
At first, Harrelson’s Rex is framed as a mad, brilliant, hobo philosopher-poet, a man who can see through the fabric of ordered society and glimpse a better, purer life beyond it.

— richard lawson, HWD, "The Glass Castle Review: An Adaptation That’s Not Nearly Shattering Enough," 7 Aug. 2017
Yet the Right concedes points made by the Left all the time; paleoconservatives, for instance, tend to agree with the Left’s framing of the Iraq War as an unnecessary and misguided adventure.

— kyle smith, National Review, "The Left’s ‘Hamburger Problem’ Is Not Going Away," 19 July 2017
All of this is why a promo that frames the return of Bachelor in Paradise as some sort of grand victory feels wrong.

— anna moeslein, Glamour, "The New 'Bachelor in Paradise' Trailer Is Here," 18 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of frame

Middle English, to benefit, construct, from Old English framian to benefit, make progress; akin to Old Norse fram forward, Old English fram from

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

frame Synonyms

Synonyms

fabricate, fashion, form, make, manufacture, produce

Related Words

assemble, build, construct, erect, make up, put up, raise, rear, set up, structure, throw up; craft, handcraft; hew; forge, mold, shape; cobble (together or up), knock out, patch (together), throw up; prefabricate; create, invent, mint, originate; establish, father, institute, organize; concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up); conceive, envisage, picture, visualize; refashion, remake, remanufacture

Near Antonyms

disassemble, dismantle, take apart; break up, dismember; abolish, annihilate, demolish, destroy, devastate, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, flatten, pulverize, raze, ruin, shatter, smash, wreck; blow up, explode

frame

noun

Definition of frame

1 a :something composed of parts fitted together and united

b :the physical makeup of an animal and especially a human body :physique, figure

2 a :the underlying constructional system or structure that gives shape or strength (as to a building)

b :a frame dwelling

3 obsolete :the act or manner of framing

4 a :a machine built upon or within a framework

a spinning frame

b :an open case or structure made for admitting, enclosing, or supporting something

a window frame

c (1) :a part of a pair of glasses that holds one of the lenses

(2) frames plural :that part of a pair of glasses other than the lenses

d :a structural unit in an automobile chassis supported on the axles and supporting the rest of the chassis and the body

5 a :an enclosing border

b :the matter or area enclosed in such a border: such as

(1) :one of the squares in which scores for each round are recorded (as in bowling); also :a round in bowling

(2) :an individual drawing in a comic strip usually enclosed by a bordering line

(3) :one picture of the series on a length of film

(4) :a complete image for display (as on a television set)

c :an inning in baseball

d (1) :framework 1a

(2) :context, frame of reference

e :an event that forms the background for the action of a novel or play

6 :frame-up

See frame defined for English-language learners

Examples of frame in a Sentence

the frame of a house
I need new frames for my glasses.

Recent Examples of frame from the Web

Kadafi Coleman's weight hovers just north of 200 pounds on his 5-foot-11 frame.

— michael osipoff, Post-Tribune, "Senior linebacker Kadafi Coleman stars in weighty role for Griffith," 23 Aug. 2017
This framing has the biggest effect for Republican officials The economic or business frame was especially strong for Republicans, and less persuasive for Democrats.

— jordan carr peterson, Washington Post, "What persuades elected officials to remove Confederate symbols? Framing it as good for business.," 21 Aug. 2017
The only budget-writing session to produce less legislation in that time frame came in 2015, when lawmakers approved 363 bills.

— joseph o’sullivan, The Seattle Times, "Does divided Olympia remind you of a certain other gridlocked capital?," 19 Aug. 2017
Anthony and Peyton, 7, shared a metal-frame bunk bed in their parents’ room.

— alden woods, azcentral, "$200 from home: Renters in the housing crisis are often stuck between help and affordability," 17 Aug. 2017
Doesn’t matter—the struggle to keep those frames from slipping down is real.

— michelle darrisaw, Southern Living, "This Easy Trick Will Stop Your Glasses From Sliding Down Your Nose," 10 Aug. 2017
A month later, an NSSA member from Tulsa, Oklahoma, travels to River Plantation, retrieves the door and its frame from the ruins of Don's home, and drives it to Lubbock.

— brantley hargrove, Popular Mechanics, "How to Stop the Wind," 3 Aug. 2017
The real question is which partner would have the best stage presence beside his six-foot-eight frame?

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Trump Has Fired Enough Staffers for an All-Trump Season of Dancing with the Stars," 31 July 2017
The BOJ now forecasts meeting its price goal around the fiscal year starting in April 2019, a time frame that’s seen as too optimistic by most private economists.

— toru fujioka, Bloomberg.com, "New Board Members Agree BOJ Is Far From Talking About Exit Plan," 25 July 2017

Illustration of frame

Origin and Etymology of frame

see ¹frame

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

frame Synonyms

Synonyms

architecture, armature, cadre, configuration, edifice, fabric, framework, framing, infrastructure, shell, skeleton, structure

Related Words

cage, lattice, network; contour, figure, outline, profile, shape, silhouette; chassis

Near Antonyms

center, core, heart; inner, inside, interior, middle, within

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

frame

adjective

Definition of frame

:having a wood frame

frame houses

Origin and Etymology of frame

see ¹frame

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1780

See Words from the same year

Other Building Terms

batten, cistern, hearth, lath, transom, wainscot

FRAME Defined for English Language Learners

frame

play

verb

Definition of frame for English Language Learners

: to put (something) inside an open structure that holds it : to put (something) in a frame
: to be around the edge of (something)
: to produce (something written or spoken) : to express (a question, answer, etc.) in words

frame

noun

Definition of frame for English Language Learners

: the basic structure and shape of the body of a person or animal
: an arrangement of parts that support and form the basic shape of something
: an open structure that holds something (such as glass or a picture)

FRAME Defined for Kids

frame

play

verb \ ˈfrām \

Definition of frame for Students

framed; framing

1 :to enclose in or as if in a frame

frame a picture

Long brown hair framed his face.

2 :to produce (something) in writing or spoken words

frame a constitution

3 :to make appear guilty

He's being framed for the crime.

—

framer

noun

frame

noun

Definition of frame for Students

1 :the structure of an animal and especially a human body :physique

a muscular frame

2 :an arrangement of parts that give form or support to something

the frame of a house

3 :an open case or structure for holding or enclosing something

window frame

picture frame

frame

adjective

Definition of frame for Students

:having a wooden frame

a two-story frame house

Medical Dictionary

frame

play

noun \ ˈfrām \

medical Definition of frame

1 :the physical makeup of an animal and especially a human body :physique, figure

2 a :a part of a pair of glasses that holds one of the lenses

b frames plural :that part of a pair of glasses other than the lenses

Law Dictionary

frame

transitive verb

legal Definition of frame

framed; framing

1 :to formulate the contents of and draw up (as a document)

in the two hundred years since our Constitution was framed
—W. J. Brennan, Jr.

2 :to contrive the evidence against (as an innocent person) so that a verdict of guilty is assured

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framer

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frame

Definition of frame

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Recent Examples of frame from the Web

Illustration of frame

Origin and Etymology of frame

frame Synonyms

Synonyms

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frame

Definition of frame

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FRAME Defined for English Language Learners

frame

Definition of frame for English Language Learners

frame

Definition of frame for English Language Learners

FRAME Defined for Kids

frame

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framer

frame

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frame

Definition of frame for Students

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frame

medical Definition of frame

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frame

legal Definition of frame

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