constructive
Americanadjective
-
helping to improve; promoting further development or advancement (opposed to destructive).
constructive criticism.
- Synonyms:
- useful, handy, helpful, productive
-
of, relating to, or of the nature of construction; structural.
-
deduced by inference or interpretation; inferential.
constructive permission.
-
Law. denoting an act or condition not directly expressed but inferred from other acts or conditions.
adjective
-
serving to build or improve; positive
constructive criticism
-
law deduced by inference or construction; not expressed but inferred
-
law having a deemed legal effect
constructive notice
-
another word for structural
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of constructive
1670–80; < Medieval Latin constrūctīvus, equivalent to Latin constrūct(us) ( see construct) + īvus -ive
Explanation
If you have a constructive idea about how to improve society, you should share it. Something that is constructive brings about improvement and growth. Constructive is an adjective associated with encouraging development, physical or otherwise. It is the opposite of destructive, which means "tending to destroy." If you are a constructive member of a community, you are a positive force, interested in building up and improving your community. You’ll often hear this word used in the phrase "constructive criticism," which refers to helpful criticism intended to encourage improvement. Negative criticism, in contrast, is just intended to show a person they're wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing constructive
Twelve Angry Men
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Fish in a Tree
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Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Abu Dhabi’s relative strength looks constructive, supported by resilient earnings and its banking and telecom sectors, says Mazen Abou Ismail, head of trading desk at FFA Private Bank Dubai.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The family of the couple said the final five days of the latest protest aimed to "transform the last stage of the couple's hunger strike from protest into something constructive and collective".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Paramount is grateful to the CMA for its constructive engagement and its review of the transaction,” Paramount said in its statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Brazil's representative made a similar note, saying "the organization must play a constructive role, prioritizing the opening of channels for negotiation."
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
“But these are the rules, guys. Don’t like them? Figure out a constructive way to express yourselves.”
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
