Meaning & use
deconstruction
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
A way of analyzing texts or ideas by revealing hidden assumptions and contradictions.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the method: 'a tool of deconstruction'. Can be countable when referring to a particular analysis: 'a deconstruction of the novel'.
Patterns
- deconstruction of something
- a deconstruction of something
Her lecture offered a deconstruction of the classic fairy tale, showing how it reinforces old gender roles.
The professor is known for her work on deconstruction and literary theory.
The article provides a deconstruction of the company's mission statement.
noununcountable
The process of breaking something down into its parts in order to understand it.
Grammar: Often used more loosely than the philosophical sense; can be countable when referring to a specific instance.
Patterns
- deconstruction of something
The documentary is a careful deconstruction of the myths surrounding the war.
His deconstruction of the argument exposed several logical gaps.
Word forms
| plural | deconstructions |
|---|
Common combinations
- a deconstruction of something
- The book is a deconstruction of traditional economic theory.
- literary deconstruction
- The course covers literary deconstruction and its critics.
- engage in deconstruction
- Some scholars engage in deconstruction to question accepted meanings.
- the deconstruction of a text
- Her thesis is a deconstruction of a single Shakespearean sonnet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- analysis
- Analysis is a general word for breaking something down; deconstruction specifically looks for hidden assumptions and contradictions.
- critique
- A critique is a detailed judgment or evaluation; deconstruction is a method of reading that questions the text's own logic.
Opposites
Word family
- deconstruct verb
- To analyze something by revealing its hidden assumptions or contradictions.
- deconstructionist noun
- A person who uses deconstruction as a method.
- deconstructive adjective
- Relating to or characteristic of deconstruction.
Commonly confused: deconstruction or destruction? deconstruction or deconstructionism?
deconstruction vs destruction
Destruction means ruining or breaking something physically; deconstruction is a careful intellectual analysis, not physical damage.
deconstruction vs deconstructionism
Deconstructionism is a broader term for the movement or theory; deconstruction is the specific method or an instance of it.
Practice
The critic's ______ of the film focused on the contradictions in its message about freedom.
Choose one answer.
The sentence describes a critical analysis that reveals contradictions, so 'deconstruction' fits. 'Destruction' means physical ruin; 'construction' is the opposite; 'instruction' means teaching or directions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deconstruction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.