construct

[kuhn-struhkt, kon-struhkt]

verb (used with object)

1. to build or form by putting together parts; frame; devise.

   Synonyms: form, erect

2. Geometry.,  to draw (a figure) fulfilling certain given conditions.

noun

1. something constructed.

   Each musical note sign is a construct of three distinct parts: the head, the stem, and the hook.

2. a mental image, idea, or theory, especially a complex one formed from a number of simpler elements.

   Character is a construct of personal values, personal rules and morals, and a number of other facets, including self-control and willpower.

construct

verb

1. to put together substances or parts, esp systematically, in order to make or build (a building, bridge, etc); assemble

2. to compose or frame mentally (an argument, sentence, etc)

3. geometry to draw (a line, angle, or figure) so that certain requirements are satisfied

noun

1. something formulated or built systematically

2. a complex idea resulting from a synthesis of simpler ideas

3. psychol a model devised on the basis of observation, designed to relate what is observed to some theoretical framework

Other Word Forms

• constructible adjective
• overconstruct verb (used with object)
• preconstruct verb (used with object)
• quasi-constructed adjective
• well-constructed adjective
• constructor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of construct¹

First recorded in 1400–50 for earlier past participle sense; 1655–65 for current senses; late Middle English, from Latin constrūctus (past participle of construere “to construe ”), equivalent to con- con- + strūc- (variant stem of struere “to build”) + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of construct¹

C17: from Latin constructus piled up, from construere to heap together, build, from struere to arrange, erect

Synonym Study

See make ¹.

Example Sentences

“A moral panic is created when statistics and other things are used to kind of create or socially construct a problem that is bigger than it is.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Data centers are ballooning in size, and a single project can take years to construct and require thousands of workers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The company has recently built four factories and is rushing to construct more than a dozen more to churn out everything from ammunition to drones and armored vehicles.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They’re constructing an alternate visual record designed to shape and control collective perception.

Read more on Salon

The construct of volatility derivative was teetering on the brink of severe bearishness a week ago.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• build up 
• compose 
• create 
• design 
• erect 
• establish 
• fashion 
• forge 
• form 
• formulate 
• found 
• manufacture 
• organize 
• produce 
• put up 
• set up 
• shape 

When To Use

What does construct mean?

To construct means to build or create by putting parts together, as in Val constructed a whole town out of toy building blocks.A construct is something that is created, often with a complex form.The verb form of construct, pronounced kuhn-struhkt, is most often used to refer to buildings and monuments being built, but it can be used in any situation where something is built or parts are combined. You can construct a meal, for example, out of ingredients in your refrigerator or construct an outfit out of articles of clothing in your closet.The noun form of construct, pronounced kon-struhkt, is anything that is built, either literally or figuratively. It is most often used figuratively to describe something that is made up of practices or ideas from a specific philosophy or school of thought. Constructs are often complex theories that are informed by many smaller ideas of the way things work.Example: The gas company tried to construct a new pipeline, but the pipes kept leaking.