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

Still, the new theoretical framework could give researchers a powerful way to expand future searches and use Earth's natural electromagnetic environment as a tool for probing some of the lightest possible forms of dark matter.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

The group is developing a framework to evaluate credit-rating providers, which insurers rely on to determine regulatory capital requirements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The negotiations also cover a framework agreed in mid-June, under which Hezbollah is expected to disarm, the Lebanese army to deploy in the south and Israeli forces to withdraw gradually, beginning with designated "pilot zones".

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

"Common framework means restructuring," Robert Besseling, CEO of Pangea-Risk, told AFP, adding that the "enhanced" component likely refers to an accelerated pace.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

At the Lord’s command, a squad of soldiers brought a set of shimmering wings, shaped like a dragonfly’s, of some thin, transparent stuff stretched over a framework of gold wire.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

On Tuesday, Woodside walked away from that target, citing delays to policy frameworks and the slow development of some markets for clean-energy products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Delangue said he hopes that legal frameworks are maintained to recognise this and to make sure that the companies that make mistakes leading to the hacks are "accountable."

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The simulations showed that the frameworks of amorphous interfaces crystallized during deformation.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The profusion of metaconcepts in professional writing—all those levels, issues, contexts, frameworks, and perspectives—also makes sense when you consider the personal history of chunking and functional fixity in the writers.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• groundwork
• plan
• scheme
• structure