framework
Americannoun
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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.
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a skeletal structure designed to support or enclose something.
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a frame or structure composed of parts fitted and joined together.
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the construction of frames.
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work done in, on, or with a frame.
noun
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a structural plan or basis of a project
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a structure or frame supporting or containing something
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frames collectively
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work such as embroidery or weaving done in or on a frame
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of framework
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.
Vocabulary lists containing framework
The Scientific Method
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The ACT Science Test: The Scientific Method
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Scientific Investigation and Reasoning
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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.
See Examples For:
However, the researchers say it may contribute to efforts to connect general relativity, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and cosmology within a broader framework.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Through nine agreements on reciprocal trade and a growing number of preliminary framework agreements with key partners, the administration is modernizing international trade rules for an economy driven by data, software, cloud computing and AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Violence has significantly decreased after the signing of a framework agreement between the US and Iran last month, along with Lebanon's continued negotiations with Israel.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
It replaces the previous level two and three "classic vehicle framework" apprenticeship.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Working on a perfectly straight I beam more than sixty feet long, he constructed a delicate framework of spruce and northern ash.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
"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
Strict regulatory frameworks and independence rules legally prohibit audit businesses from tying their compensation to performance incentives or specific client outcomes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Beyond the model, Scaled Cognition has also built a platform for enterprise AI deployment that includes agentic tooling, live agent monitoring and simulation and evaluation frameworks, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Warsh took the opportunity to announce that he is establishing five task forces focused on Fed communications, the balance sheet, economic data usage, productivity and jobs, and inflation frameworks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 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
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.
