Meaning & use

construct

verb·Academic

To build or put together something, such as a building, system, or argument, from its parts.

See it in a sentence

The company plans to construct a new office tower downtown by next year.

The lawyer carefully constructed an argument that addressed every point the jury might question.

A note on using this word

Construct is used for both physical building projects and abstract creations, such as arguments, theories, or sentences.

Words with a similar meaning

buildassembleerect

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

An idea or theory built up from a number of simpler elements, especially one that is abstract.

Social scientists treat race as a social construct shaped by history and culture.

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