erect

American  

[ih-rekt] / ɪˈrɛkt /

adjective

1. upright in position or posture.

   to stand or sit erect.

   Synonyms:

   vertical, standing

2. raised or directed upward.

   a dog with ears erect.

3. Botany. vertical throughout; not spreading or declined.

   an erect stem;

   an erect leaf or ovule.

4. Heraldry.

   1. (of a charge) represented vertically, following the line of a pale.

      a sword erect.

   2. (of an animal or part of an animal) represented upright.

      a boar's head erect.

5. Optics. (of an image) having the same position as the object; not inverted.

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verb (used with object)

• erects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• erected,
  past participle,  past
• erecting
  present participle

1. to build; construct; raise.

   to erect a house.

   Synonyms:

   upraise, upend, set up, put up

2. to raise and set in an upright or vertical position.

   to erect a telegraph pole.

3. to set up or establish, as an institution; found.

4. to bring about; cause to come into existence.

   to erect barriers to progress.

5. Geometry. to draw or construct (a line or figure) upon a given line, base, or the like.

6. to form or create legally (usually followed byinto ).

   to erect a territory into a state.

7. Optics. to change (an inverted image) to the normal position.

8. Machinery. to assemble; make ready for use.

verb (used without object)

• erects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• erected,
  past participle,  past
• erecting
  present participle

1. to become erect; stand up or out.

erect British  

/ ɪˈrɛkt /

adjective

1. upright in posture or position; not bent or leaning

   an erect stance

2. (of an optical image) having the same orientation as the object; not inverted

3. physiol (of the penis, clitoris, or nipples) firm or rigid after swelling with blood, esp as a result of sexual excitement

4. (of plant parts) growing vertically or at right angles to the parts from which they arise

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verb

1. to put up; construct; build

2. to raise to an upright position; lift up

   to erect a flagpole

3. to found or form; set up

4. (also intr) physiol to become or cause to become firm or rigid by filling with blood

5. to hold up as an ideal; exalt

6. optics to change (an inverted image) to an upright position

7. to draw or construct (a line, figure, etc) on a given line or figure, esp at right angles to it

Synonym Usage

See upright.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• erectness
  noun
• semierectness
  noun
• suberectness
  noun
• preerect
  verb (used with object)
• reerect
  verb (used with object)
• erectable
  adjective
• nonerecting
  adjective
• semierect
  adjective
• suberect
  adjective
• unerect
  adjective
• erectly
  adverb
• semierectly
  adverb
• suberectly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• erecting
  present
• erected
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• erect
  simple
• erects
  simple
• have erected
  perfect
• has erected
  perfect
• am erecting
  progressive
• are erecting
  progressive
• is erecting
  progressive
• have been erecting
  perfect progressive
• has been erecting
  perfect progressive

Past

• erected
  simple
• had erected
  perfect
• was erecting
  progressive
• were erecting
  progressive
• had been erecting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will erect
  simple
• will have erected
  perfect
• will be erecting
  progressive
• will have been erecting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of erect

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ērēctus “raised up” (past participle of ērigere ), equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + reg- “guide, direct” ( see royal) + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

Erect means "build" or "upright." If you erect a house, you build it. If you stand erect, you hold your body as tall as possible. Erect comes from the Latin word erectus, meaning “upright, elevated, lofty” or “eager, alert, aroused.” Erect is a verb, as in, it will take you years to erect your replica of the Eiffel Tower using only gum and toothpicks. Erect is also an adjective, as in something that is tall, firm, straight or rigid, like a half-dead plant that becomes more erect when you water it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

erect erects erected erecting

A sharper understanding of trade tensions and tactics is nonetheless warranted as governments erect new trade and investment restrictions and subsidies, which together are up fivefold since 2015.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Authorities in Mexico City say they will again erect screens along the Paseo de la Reforma, the capital’s iconic thoroughfare, but will space them out to keep crowds from congregating at a single point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Which is without question why the prime minister was very keen in our interview to erect the highest bar he could to any wannabe successors triggering a leadership contest.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Some also attempted to erect a barricade with rental bikes which was cleared by police.

From Barron's ● May 30, 2026

His voice was strong and it rang through the church with a power that brought every head erect.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

The act erects massive barriers to entry to the market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

WSF’s cumbersome advancement system favors insiders and erects barriers to hiring experienced mariners.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

PHOTOS: Finland erects barriers at border with Russia to control influx of migrants.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 22, 2023

This issue is the AI alignment problem, and it’s another source of uncertainty that erects barriers to trust.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 3, 2023

A race builds itself for a million years, refines itself, erects cities like those out there, does everything it can to give itself respect and beauty, and then it dies.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury

Shortly after, the developer bulldozed the entire place, ripped out trees and erected a 4,700-square-foot box house complete with an eight-foot-tall tiger painted by the front door.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

It would be emblazoned on movie posters, erected as a promotional monument outside theaters and rendered in plastic as a $70 popcorn holder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

As the 14th hole sank into the sea, contractors erected a stone structure to protect it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

On Friday, a much larger event led to a tent being erected outside the arena that doubled in size from Thursday.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

New cars, heavy with fins and chrome, were parked in front of miners’ houses from New Camp to Frog Level, and new swing sets, brightly painted, were erected in the backyards.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

When makeshift roadblocks appeared, Minneapolis urged residents to stop erecting them, citing the need for emergency access, fire response, and roadways open for all.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Moving from a free neighborhood high school team to an academy can be expensive, erecting a “pay-to-play” barrier that often restricts those programs to wealthier families.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Bolivians began demonstrating and erecting roadblocks in early May to demand salary increases, stable fuel supplies and measures to mitigate the worst economic crisis in 40 years.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

Instead of erecting burdensome bureaucratic roadblocks that would stifle progress, we should encourage responsible innovation that serves human dignity and the common good.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

After erecting the main structure of the Hab, they assembled the three airlocks.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• assemble
• construct
• create
• found
• hoist
• initiate
• mount
• organize
• put up
• raise
• set up
• stand