construct
verb
con·struct
| \ kən-ˈstrəkt
\
\
constructed;
constructing;
constructs
Definition of construct
(Entry 1 of 2)
2
: to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under specified conditions
Construct a regular hexagon with sides 3 inches long.
3
: to set in logical order
construct
noun
con·struct
| \ ˈkän-ˌstrəkt
\
\
Definition of construct (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: something constructed by the mind: such as
a
: a theoretical entity
… the deductive study of abstract constructs …— Daniel J. Boorstin
b
: a working hypothesis or concept
The unconscious was a construct that came from the daily effort to understand patients.
2
: a product of ideology, history, or social circumstances
Privacy is more than a social construct or an idea; it is a condition of the body.— Sallie Tisdale
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Other Words from construct
Verb
constructability
or less commonly constructibility \ kən-ˌstrək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
constructable
or constructible \ kən-ˈstrək-tə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
constructor
\ kən-ˈstrək-tər
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms for construct
Synonyms: Verb
concoct, contrive, cook (up), devise, drum up, excogitate, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, think (up), trump up, vamp (up)
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Examples of construct in a Sentence
Verb
They plan to construct a barn behind the house. The author constructs all the stories around one theme. Construct a triangle that has sides of equal length.Noun
He argues that time is a subjective construct with no objective existence.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Atom Smasher the horse was apparently named after a type of machine that was constructed at universities and research centers, including, in 1938, on the campus of the Carnegie Institution for Science. — Washington Post, "Making history — and smashing atoms — in a leafy part of Chevy Chase, D.C.," 7 Sep. 2019 But you’re right, as it’s currently constructed, this needs to be a team that finds a way to get a lead and then leans on their defense to carry them home. — Ryan O’halloran, The Denver Post, "Broncos Mailbag: Is general manager John Elway done wheeling and dealing?," 4 Sep. 2019 Mottolese disagreed and wrote in his decision that the commission needed to determine there was a specific harm to the public interest if the development was constructed. — Kathleen Mcwilliams, courant.com, "Judge rules in favor of developer seeking to build affordable housing apartments in Newington," 4 Sep. 2019 Since the building was constructed as a two-story structure, experts believe its foundation was laid at least two feet below the 1700s ground surface to support the walls. — Scott Huddleston, ExpressNews.com, "Early mission-era artifact unearthed in downtown San Antonio at Alamo," 30 Aug. 2019 This is thanks to the premium foam and four-layer design, that's constructed to evenly distribute your weight and minimize rebound, which is ideal for the restless sleepers among us. — Isabelle Kagan, USA TODAY, "Our favorite mattress is at its best sale price for Labor Day," 29 Aug. 2019 The bridge also meets the latest seismic criteria and was constructed using pavement designed to limit noise for the surrounding neighborhood, according to project officials. — Priscella Vega, Daily Pilot, "After nearly yearlong closure, rebuilt Slater Avenue bridge in Fountain Valley will open to traffic Thursday," 28 Aug. 2019 But Mr Brown convincingly shows that theology matters, if only because any argument that can be constructed theologically can also be deconstructed. — The Economist, "Everywhere in chains," 27 Aug. 2019 The site was likely constructed on the bank of semi-stable river that has long since been reclaimed by the ocean. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "An 8,000-Year-Old Platform in Britain Could Be the Oldest Boat-Building Site Ever Discovered," 27 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The social construct of race became tightly tethered to legal status, causing problems that ripple down to the present day. — National Geographic, "400 years ago, enslaved Africans first arrived in Virginia," 13 Aug. 2019 The three falls were all wrestled under different constructs, with the first being a prototypical wrestling match, a street fight for the second, and a cage match for the third. — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "NXT Builds Hybrid TakeOver Pay Per View Into Best Product in Industry," 11 Aug. 2019 We are told that gender is a social construct and people can jump from one gender to another according to choice. — The Economist, "The centre cannot hold - the failure of Change UK and the atrophying of political thought," 19 June 2019 My mind touches daily on the work done in that room—on the lens that Morrison made for examining constructs of blackness in the American imagination. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "The Indelible Substance of a Semester with Toni Morrison," 7 Aug. 2019 Camci-Unal hopes that one day the material could be mixed with a patient’s own cells and applied to a 3D construct to grow into an implant of the correct shape and size. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "How Scientists Are Using Eggshells to Grow New Bone," 18 July 2019 The only truth to emerge is that truth itself is a construct of the conflicting interests of politicians, the entitled, the disenfranchised, the media, the guilty, and the innocent. — Peter Keough, BostonGlobe.com, "In Focus: Some truth about true crime," 11 July 2019 My choice to identify as non-binary is used to constantly disrupt gender constructs and gender norms. — Essence, "Indya Moore Makes History At Essence Festival 2019," 7 July 2019 Kingsbury’s offense will spread it out and move quickly, an ideal construct for a do-it-all running back who can break big plays on the ground and through the air. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "Fantasy Football: David Johnson, Kenyan Drake Among Early 2019 Bounceback Candidates," 14 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'construct.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for construct
construct
verb
English Language Learners Definition of construct
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to build or make (something physical, such as a road, bridge, or building)