framework

American  

[freym-wurk] / ˈfreɪmˌwɜrk /

noun

frameworks plural

1. a basic structure, plan, or system, as of concepts, values, customs, or rules: The empire foundered, leaving its people in anarchy and lawlessness, as the framework of their society and culture collapsed around them.

   The bill, if passed, will provide a legal framework for privacy and data protection.

   The empire foundered, leaving its people in anarchy and lawlessness, as the framework of their society and culture collapsed around them.

2. a skeletal structure designed to support or enclose something.

3. a frame or structure composed of parts fitted and joined together.

4. the construction of frames.

5. work done in, on, or with a frame.

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framework British  

/ ˈfreɪmˌwɜːk /

noun

1. a structural plan or basis of a project

2. a structure or frame supporting or containing something

3. frames collectively

4. work such as embroidery or weaving done in or on a frame

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underframework
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frameworks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of framework

First recorded in 1635–45; frame + work

Explanation

Framework refers to the initial structure of a building. If you ever wanted to walk through walls, you can get your chance when a new house has just the framework done, because the house will have walls with openings for windows and doors but no plaster or siding. From the literal meaning of framework — the initial structure of a building — English added figurative meanings. The noun framework, for example, can be any underlying structure something is built on, so you will see examples like: a framework for solving the problem, a framework for the computer program, and a framework for a new relationship.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

framework frameworks

The framework, which simplifies dual IPOs and secondary listings while expanding cross-border investment products, could broaden Bursa’s IPO pipeline by giving issuers access to both Malaysian and Hong Kong investors, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

David Wiens, a third-generation dairy farmer from Manitoba and president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, argues the framework has contributed to steady prices while protecting "food sovereignty".

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

This coating then acts as a framework for rebuilding the mineral structure of enamel.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

Clearly, it would be better to have a seven-state consensus, he said, and the 10-year federal framework leaves space to keep trying to reach one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

But this was all set in the framework of a huge expansion of the realm which science attempted to explain.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Like Cude, Delorme finds that AI responds reasonably well to precise questions with clear frameworks.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Those concerns should be addressed through targeted legal and commercial frameworks rather than sweeping restrictions on techniques that play an important role in AI innovation.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

"We need more predictive frameworks that link behavioral responses to ecological and evolutionary context. That includes incorporating species traits, past exposure to humans, predator communities, and landscape structure," says D'Souza.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

Financial institutions, like those already using StarCompliance, have existing compliance frameworks that a prediction market policy neatly slots into.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Pedagogically Sound: Including multiple perspectives and views on material not only enriches the curriculum content, but also provides radically different frameworks and paradigms to students on content.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• groundwork
• plan
• scheme
• structure