social construct
noun
formal
: an idea that has been created and accepted by the people in a society
Class distinctions are a social construct.
Examples of social construct in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Race is a social construct that reveals little about ancestry.
—
Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Check a box for race (a social construct and not a biological reality, though the consequences are extremely real).
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
Both Gergen and Maturana espouse the view that reality is purely a social construct.
—Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
Experts do not feel like biologic differences drive this inequity, especially given that race is a social construct and cannot be genetically or biologically defined.
—Dr. Angela Zhang, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024
Race is a social construct, not a biological certainty, therefore classification using a flawed premise will lead to flawed science.
—De-Shaine Murray, STAT, 29 Nov. 2023
Interpreting history Modern academics argue that race is a social construct.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2023
Adolescence, which society defines as the transition from childhood to adulthood, begins in biology with the onset of puberty but ends in a social construct when a person achieves independence and assumes adult roles.
—Jay N. Giedd, Scientific American, 1 May 2016
Unlike most of his white contemporaries, Du Bois did not see race as an immutable characteristic but as a social construct.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
Cassandra Willyard, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
Check a box for race (a social construct and not a biological reality, though the consequences are extremely real).
—Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024
Both Gergen and Maturana espouse the view that reality is purely a social construct.
—Richard Halstead, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
Experts do not feel like biologic differences drive this inequity, especially given that race is a social construct and cannot be genetically or biologically defined.
—Dr. Angela Zhang, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2024
Race is a social construct, not a biological certainty, therefore classification using a flawed premise will lead to flawed science.
—De-Shaine Murray, STAT, 29 Nov. 2023
Interpreting history Modern academics argue that race is a social construct.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2023
Adolescence, which society defines as the transition from childhood to adulthood, begins in biology with the onset of puberty but ends in a social construct when a person achieves independence and assumes adult roles.
—Jay N. Giedd, Scientific American, 1 May 2016
Unlike most of his white contemporaries, Du Bois did not see race as an immutable characteristic but as a social construct.
—Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social construct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Social construct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20construct. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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