Meaning & use

constructive

adjective·Everyday

Helpful and intended to encourage improvement, rather than merely critical or negative.

See it in a sentence

Her manager gave constructive feedback that helped her improve the report significantly.

The meeting stayed constructive even though several people disagreed on the plan.

A note on using this word

"Constructive criticism" specifically pairs honest evaluation with practical suggestions for improvement.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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