constructive
Americanadjective
-
helping to improve; promoting further development or advancement (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
- constructively adverb
- constructiveness noun
- nonconstructive adjective
- nonconstructively adverb
- nonconstructiveness noun
- quasi-constructive adjective
- quasi-constructively adverb
- unconstructive adjective
- unconstructively adverb
Etymology
Origin of constructive
1670–80; < Medieval Latin constrūctīvus, equivalent to Latin constrūct(us) ( construct ) + īvus -ive
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.
Investors may want to monitor a couple of new issues showing relative strength in a softer market, with an eye toward acting when broader conditions turn more constructive.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
“We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
US President Donald Trump's comments on "constructive" talks with Iran brought only temporary calm to the markets.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had spoken with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on "the grave situation in the Gulf region", and promised Pakistan was committed to playing "a constructive role in advancing peace".
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
“No, Dad, but I’m helping them find dresses — you know, giving them constructive criticism.”
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
