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
When reconstructing the Inquisition trial of a sixteenth-century northern Italian miller, historian Carlo Ginzburg encountered a line that would eventually inspire the title of his paradigm-shifting study The Cheese and the Worms.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
The lost information was reconstructed by Gaudí’s collaborators which then helped later generations of architects.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
Drawing upon Saidiya Hartman’s methodology of critical fabulation, Raphaël Barontini, Andrea Chung, Aline Motta, and Tshepiso Morop offer works that don’t so much reconstruct the truth as embroider the space around it with dreams of possibility.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
The cancer treatment included doctors removing his bladder and reconstructing a new one using part of his intestine.
—Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
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Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
The lost information was reconstructed by Gaudí’s collaborators which then helped later generations of architects.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
Drawing upon Saidiya Hartman’s methodology of critical fabulation, Raphaël Barontini, Andrea Chung, Aline Motta, and Tshepiso Morop offer works that don’t so much reconstruct the truth as embroider the space around it with dreams of possibility.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
The cancer treatment included doctors removing his bladder and reconstructing a new one using part of his intestine.
—Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
Cite this Entry
“Reconstruct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruct. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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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