reconstruction

noun

re·​con·​struc·​tion ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce reconstruction (audio)
plural reconstructions
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the act or process of rebuilding, repairing, or restoring something
reconstruction efforts to repair hurricane damage
the reconstruction of the dam
the reconstruction of postwar Europe
b
Reconstruction in U.S. history : the period from 1865 to 1877 in which the southern states that had seceded during the American Civil War rejoined the United States
c
medical : repair of an organ or body part by reconstructive surgery
knee/ligament reconstruction
2
a
: the re-creation or reimagining of something from the past especially by using information acquired through research
the historical reconstruction of an ancient village
the newspaper's reconstruction of the events
b
: a technical process by which scientific principles and techniques are applied to physical evidence in order to create an accurate reenactment or understanding of a past occurrence or event (such as an accident)
technology used in crime scene reconstruction

Examples of reconstruction in a Sentence

the reconstruction of the dam the reconstruction of postwar Europe reconstruction of the health-care system They were able to determine the cause of the accident by careful reconstruction of the events leading up to it. The police staged a reconstruction of the crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The parallel imagination engine of QML functions by projecting features into complex multidimensional quantum spaces, which enables 2D sketch reconstruction into 3D and beyond. Sadhasivam Mohanadas, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 In Lebanon, new political players are becoming more confident in discussing economic cooperation and cross-border stability, while Syria’s new leadership has refrained from anti-Israel rhetoric and focused instead on reconstruction and international reintegration. semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Most of the film’s visual sequences are reconstructions of the experiences of the Palestine Red Crescent staff who were working in their West Bank office at the time. Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025 The model simultaneously generates RGB video and depth information to enable direct 3D reconstruction without the need for traditional modeling techniques. ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reconstruction

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of reconstruction was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Reconstruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruction. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

reconstruction

noun
re·​con·​struc·​tion ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce reconstruction (audio)
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the state of being reconstructed
b
often capitalized : the reorganization and reestablishment of the Confederate states in the Union after the American Civil War
2
: something reconstructed

Medical Definition

reconstruction

noun
re·​con·​struc·​tion ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən How to pronounce reconstruction (audio)
: repair of an organ or part by reconstructive surgery
breast reconstruction

Legal Definition

reconstruction

noun
re·​con·​struc·​tion
1
: a rebuilding of a nonfunctional patented article that amounts to creation of a new article and constitutes infringement of the patent
the complete replacement of the mechanism was a reconstruction and not a repair
2
: the practice or process of recreating an incident (as an accident) for the purpose of investigating the specific facts and circumstances surrounding it
heard testimony on the speed of the vehicle from an expert in accident reconstruction
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