construction

American  

[kuhn-struhk-shuhn] / kənˈstrʌk ʃən /

noun

• constructions
  plural

1. the act or art of constructing.

2. the way in which a thing is constructed.

   a building of solid construction.

3. something that is constructed; a structure.

4. the occupation or industry of building.

   He works in construction.

5. Grammar.

   1. the arrangement of two or more forms in a grammatical unit. Constructions involving bound forms are often called morphological, as the bound forms fif- and -teen. Those involving only free forms are often called syntactic, as the good man, in the house.

   2. a word or phrase consisting of two or more forms arranged in a particular way.

   3. a group of words or morphemes for which there is a rule in some part of the grammar.

6. explanation or interpretation, as of a law, a text, or an action.

   Synonyms:

   story, rendition, version

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construction British  

/ kənˈstrʌkʃən /

noun

1. the process or act of constructing or manner in which a thing is constructed

2. the thing constructed; a structure

3. 1. the business or work of building dwellings, offices, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a construction site

4. an interpretation or explanation of a law, text, action, etc

   they put a sympathetic construction on her behaviour

5. grammar a group of words that together make up one of the constituents into which a sentence may be analysed; a phrase or clause

6. geometry a drawing of a line, angle, or figure satisfying certain conditions, used in solving a problem or proving a theorem

7. an abstract work of art in three dimensions or relief See also constructivism

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preconstruction
  noun
• constructional
  adjective
• constructionally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• constructions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of construction

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin constrūctiōn-, stem of constrūctiō “placement together, building,” from constrūct(us) “put together” ( see construct) + -iō -ion

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Explanation

The creation or building of something is construction. Depending on your budget, if you are building a new house, you will get the construction of a castle, a house, a cottage, or a shack. The word construction has its roots in the Latin word construere, which itself has roots in com-, meaning "together," and struere meaning "to pile up." In addition to the building of property, the noun construction also refers to the building trade itself. If you work for a company that builds things — from offices to houses and bridges to dams — you work in construction, whether you are a carpenter at the work site or the secretary who schedules the jobs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

construction constructions

The project was initiated a decade ago, she said, but construction only began in the last two months.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Investors should compare operating cash flow, capital spending and financing commitments over several quarters, allowing for the timing of construction and equipment purchases.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Builders report that immigration agents have frequently pulled over workers driving with construction materials and raided building sites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Building collapses are common in Pakistan, largely due to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials in the South Asian nation of more than 240 million people.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Of all his accomplishments as president, Roosevelt believed that the construction of the Panama Canal was his greatest achievement.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

The golf club would front constructions costs as a "gift" to Americans and local residents, according to the letter.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The state also requires home hardening measures for the structure itself — from covering vents with a mesh to block embers from entering to using fire-resistant building materials — for all new constructions since 2008.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

AI writing seems off, and not just because of its reliance on “it’s not X, it’s Y” constructions or my beloved em dashes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

And many of the new constructions are far removed from traditional Cycladic architecture.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

They consulted dictionaries to look up correct information about word meanings and grammatical constructions.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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Related Words

• development
• manufacture
• plan
• planning
• structure
• system

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