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
According to the ideological-innocence theory, which has been widely influential in political science since the Sixties, most Americans are not ideological, being unable to coherently reconstruct or affirm the orthodoxies of conservatism or liberalism in surveys.
—Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The labyrinth that currently stands is not the original but was reconstructed in the 1930s, Morgan said.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
Pushing microsurgery limits While the ear was being preserved on the foot, surgeons worked to reconstruct the patient’s scalp and neck using skin grafts taken from her abdomen.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
The new genome is also much older than the first and allows geneticists to probe more deeply into Denisovan history and reconstruct relationships between different ancient populations.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruct
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Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The labyrinth that currently stands is not the original but was reconstructed in the 1930s, Morgan said.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
Pushing microsurgery limits While the ear was being preserved on the foot, surgeons worked to reconstruct the patient’s scalp and neck using skin grafts taken from her abdomen.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
The new genome is also much older than the first and allows geneticists to probe more deeply into Denisovan history and reconstruct relationships between different ancient populations.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 26 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 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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