reconstruct
verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt 
reconstructed; reconstructing; reconstructs
1
: to construct again: such as
a
: to build or assemble (something) again
reconstruct a damaged chimney
b
medical
: to subject (an organ or part) to surgery to re-form its structure or correct a defect
an athlete with a surgically reconstructed shoulder
2
a
: to re-create or reimagine (something from the past) especially by using information acquired through research
reconstructing a lost civilization
The solution is to reconstruct the vocabularies of vanished ancient languages (so-called protolanguages) by comparing vocabularies of modern languages derived from them.—
Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
b
: to create an accurate reenactment or understanding of (a past occurrence or event, such as an accident) by applying scientific principles and techniques to physical evidence
McDaniel hired the firm to reconstruct a fiery collision in Limestone County several years ago in which two young women were killed when their car was engulfed in flames.—John Peck
John PeckExamples of reconstruct in a Sentence
After the earthquake, many houses needed to be reconstructed.
Archaeologists were able to reconstruct most of the ancient village from their findings.
They are attempting to reconstruct the events that led to the bridge's collapse.
Recent Examples on the Web
Such a plan was already in the project development stage: the Union Station Expansion Project, which would reconstruct the entire rail yard, passenger platforms and concourses, among other changes, over the course of more than a decade.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
In the case of an expenditure made for the construction or reconstruction of a structure, the expenditure is considered made when your original use of the constructed or reconstructed structure begins.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Larson’s team, which included collaborators from the University of Minnesota and tribal nations in the region, surveyed the rings of stumps, snags and logs while also taking cores from living trees to reconstruct the fire history of the land.
—Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025
As the probes twinkle on and off, computational models estimate exactly where each molecule is located—and reconstruct a high-resolution image of the sample.
—Katarina Zimmer, JSTOR Daily, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
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Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
In the case of an expenditure made for the construction or reconstruction of a structure, the expenditure is considered made when your original use of the constructed or reconstructed structure begins.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Larson’s team, which included collaborators from the University of Minnesota and tribal nations in the region, surveyed the rings of stumps, snags and logs while also taking cores from living trees to reconstruct the fire history of the land.
—Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025
As the probes twinkle on and off, computational models estimate exactly where each molecule is located—and reconstruct a high-resolution image of the sample.
—Katarina Zimmer, JSTOR Daily, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
Cite this Entry
“Reconstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruct. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconstruct
verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt
Medical Definition
reconstruct
transitive verb
re·con·struct
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrəkt
: to subject (an organ or part) to surgery so as to re-form the structure of or to correct a defect
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