framework
Americannoun
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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.
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a skeletal structure designed to support or enclose something.
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a frame or structure composed of parts fitted and joined together.
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the construction of frames.
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work done in, on, or with a frame.
noun
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a structural plan or basis of a project
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a structure or frame supporting or containing something
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frames collectively
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work such as embroidery or weaving done in or on a frame
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of framework
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.
Vocabulary lists containing framework
The Scientific Method
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The ACT Science Test: The Scientific Method
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Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new initiative is one of the first actions taken as part of the IOC's 'fit for the future' framework to find new ways to support athletes.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
Under that framework, issuing preferred shares to fund Bitcoin purchases can create value for shareholders if the cryptocurrency continues to rise over time.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
While news of a ceasefire agreement and a framework to reopen the Strait of Hormuz helped trim the average mortgage rate back to 6.47% last week, according to Freddie Mac, that decrease looks fragile.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
"There's no magic formula against the pressure-cooker effect," he said, but stressed that environmental farming practices offer a "framework" for adaptation that can be developed "in every region and every sector".
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Whether we are aware of it or not, tradition is the framework within which we inevitably form our opinions of works of art and assess their degree of originality.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
