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

Completed in 1902, the building was an architectural marvel with a pioneering steel-frame construction making it one of the city's first skyscrapers.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

A group of settlers was also seen alongside soldiers at a house under construction in the village.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

Trump also is continuing to race through the ballroom construction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Another report by the association estimated that over the next 25 years total drinking water infrastructure construction needs are projected to reach a cost of $2.4 trillion across the nation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

He’d be spotted any minute, halfway in the construction site, and halfway out on the sidewalk.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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

From Science Daily ● Jan. 7, 2026

Family is like a tapestry, sewn together in a constant story despite different constructions and experiences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

Analysts are monitoring large AI data center constructions as a key factor for revenue forecasts for companies like Nvidia and Oracle.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025

Mr. Bell once again proves that he’s a master of light, transparency and reflection with colorful geometric constructions that shift in light and intensity as you walk around them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

Intelligent life on Earth first reveals itself through the geometric regularity of its constructions.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

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