construction

American  

[kuhn-struhk-shuhn] / kənˈstrʌk ʃən /

noun

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

• constructional
  adjective
• preconstruction
  noun
• constructionally
  adverb

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

Many CCRCs use long-term debt, including bonds or loans, to finance construction and day-to-day operations.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

“As of 1855, construction of overland telegraph systems had become standardized,” Mr. Tabor writes, but “no such standard existed for submarine telegraph lines, especially those running through salt water.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The US National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit to stop the construction, saying "no president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever".

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

"We are for development, we are for transparency, we are against construction in protected areas," she insisted.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

“In fact, we’ve run out of construction paper.”

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

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