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
Another team reconstructed remnants of eighth-century-C.E. boats to test on the Charente River in France.
—Nora Bradford, Scientific American, 25 June 2025
Now, students will embalm bodies and reconstruct faces in spacious labs equipped with high-tech mortuary tools.
—Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2025
Combining oral history, memoir, and reporting, the book reconstructs how a band of misfits and audiophiles came to build and transport the monolithic Wall of Sound.
—Noah Eckstein, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
By determining the ages of two dozen fossil corals from various elevations on the islands and analyzing the sediments around the fossils, the team reconstructed the relationship between global climate and sea levels between 122,000 and 123,000 years ago.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
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Nora Bradford, Scientific American, 25 June 2025
Now, students will embalm bodies and reconstruct faces in spacious labs equipped with high-tech mortuary tools.
—Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2025
Combining oral history, memoir, and reporting, the book reconstructs how a band of misfits and audiophiles came to build and transport the monolithic Wall of Sound.
—Noah Eckstein, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025
By determining the ages of two dozen fossil corals from various elevations on the islands and analyzing the sediments around the fossils, the team reconstructed the relationship between global climate and sea levels between 122,000 and 123,000 years ago.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 19 June 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 13 Jul. 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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