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

For the Sun's magnetic "framework" to change this quickly, magnetic flux must be transported efficiently away through the solar atmosphere.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

Compared with chemical dependencies, which have been well understood since before the first DSM was compiled in 1952, the framework for describing so-called behavioral addictions is extremely new, he and others said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

First laid out in 2023, the framework outlines how the company measures and mitigates emerging AI risks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The government of libertarian President Javier Milei aims to use the bill to provide a legal framework that attracts investment.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Conceptual framework: National Core Arts Standards: A conceptual framework for arts learning.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 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

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Beyond the model, Scaled Cognition has also built a platform for enterprise AI deployment that includes agentic tooling, live agent monitoring and simulation and evaluation frameworks, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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