framework

American  

[freym-wurk] / ˈfreɪmˌwɜrk /

noun

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

• underframework
  noun

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

More broadly, the country’s regulatory framework reinforces a disease-centric approach.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

The Creg y Cowin project is operating under a 100-year framework, with trees expected to take 50 to 75 years to mature.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Beijing and Washington agreed in principle to include relevant agricultural goods in the reciprocal tariff-reduction framework and to set guiding targets for expanding two-way agricultural trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

For more than 60 years, measurements of the muon's magnetic behavior appeared to disagree with predictions made by the Standard Model, the framework scientists use to describe the universe's fundamental particles and forces.

From Science Daily • May 19, 2026

In a framework of nothing, slices of Milky Way become a great gift.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

Related Words

• groundwork
• plan
• scheme
• structure