framework

American  

[freym-wurk] / ˈfreɪmˌwɜrk /

noun

• frameworks
  plural

1. a basic structure, plan, or system, as of concepts, values, customs, or rules: The empire foundered, leaving its people in anarchy and lawlessness, as the framework of their society and culture collapsed around them.

   The bill, if passed, will provide a legal framework for privacy and data protection.

   The empire foundered, leaving its people in anarchy and lawlessness, as the framework of their society and culture collapsed around them.

2. a skeletal structure designed to support or enclose something.

3. a frame or structure composed of parts fitted and joined together.

4. the construction of frames.

5. work done in, on, or with a frame.

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framework British  

/ ˈfreɪmˌwɜːk /

noun

1. a structural plan or basis of a project

2. a structure or frame supporting or containing something

3. frames collectively

4. work such as embroidery or weaving done in or on a frame

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underframework
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frameworks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of framework

First recorded in 1635–45; frame + work

Explanation

Framework refers to the initial structure of a building. If you ever wanted to walk through walls, you can get your chance when a new house has just the framework done, because the house will have walls with openings for windows and doors but no plaster or siding. From the literal meaning of framework — the initial structure of a building — English added figurative meanings. The noun framework, for example, can be any underlying structure something is built on, so you will see examples like: a framework for solving the problem, a framework for the computer program, and a framework for a new relationship.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

framework frameworks

The task forces will examine the macroeconomic impacts of AI, what data the Fed looks at, its balance sheet policy, its inflation framework and its communications.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Nothing in that framework tells the Fed what to make of an investment boom that lifts prices without first raising wages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

The underlying portfolio framework needs to treat longevity not as a fixed end date but as a variable, the same way market risk is modeled across a range of outcomes.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

It's all part of the framework which American showrunner Scott Frank started to build when he persuaded Netflix to locate the show in Scotland three years ago.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Now and then the net is too quick, the lance pierces, the gun flicks and that frog is gone, but it is all fair and in the framework.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

On Tuesday, Woodside walked away from that target, citing delays to policy frameworks and the slow development of some markets for clean-energy products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Then, he told the world the Taliban government would allow women to work and study "within our frameworks" and they would "be very active" in society.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

“Those concerns should be addressed through targeted legal and commercial frameworks rather than sweeping restrictions on techniques that play an important role in AI innovation.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

"We need more predictive frameworks that link behavioral responses to ecological and evolutionary context. That includes incorporating species traits, past exposure to humans, predator communities, and landscape structure," says D'Souza.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

The profusion of metaconcepts in professional writing—all those levels, issues, contexts, frameworks, and perspectives—also makes sense when you consider the personal history of chunking and functional fixity in the writers.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• groundwork
• plan
• scheme
• structure