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

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

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

In a March survey of Americans by Gallup, 71% of respondents said they would oppose the construction of one in their local area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

It has accommodated countless graduations, and Long Beach City College and numerous area high schools will have to relocate their commencement ceremonies during construction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Even pottery that enters the ground whole often cracks over the centuries as soil pressure, farming, construction, and other disturbances shift the earth around it.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

In cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, housing construction slowed down, and that resulted in surging home prices, the Fed researchers said in the report.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

Interlocking loops of multicolored construction paper—six million of them for the six million Jewish lives snuffed out during the Holocaust.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Novels from Valeria Luiselli and Katy Simpson Smith explore the connections between human relationships and the deliberate constructions of art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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

At the same time, the mathematical foundations behind these constructions are highly advanced and demand careful analytical work.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 7, 2026

Not surprisingly, the new necessities have made new constructions a harder sell.

From Barron's ● Dec. 3, 2025

Even Zillah’s gauzy constructions appear to me to have a confidence and subtlety, an assurance, that my own paintings lack: in this context my pictures are too highly finished, too decorative, too merely pretty.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

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