construct
Americanverb (used with object)
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constructs,
present (3rd person singular)
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constructed,
past participle, past
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constructing
present participle
noun
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constructs
plural
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something constructed.
Each musical note sign is a construct of three distinct parts: the head, the stem, and the hook.
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a mental image, idea, or theory, especially a complex one formed from a number of simpler elements.
Character is a construct of personal values, personal rules and morals, and a number of other facets, including self-control and willpower.
verb
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to put together substances or parts, esp systematically, in order to make or build (a building, bridge, etc); assemble
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to compose or frame mentally (an argument, sentence, etc)
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geometry to draw (a line, angle, or figure) so that certain requirements are satisfied
noun
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something formulated or built systematically
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a complex idea resulting from a synthesis of simpler ideas
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psychol a model devised on the basis of observation, designed to relate what is observed to some theoretical framework
Usage
What does construct mean? To construct means to build or create by putting parts together, as in Val constructed a whole town out of toy building blocks. A construct is something that is created, often with a complex form. The verb form of construct, pronounced kuhn-struhkt, is most often used to refer to buildings and monuments being built, but it can be used in any situation where something is built or parts are combined. You can construct a meal, for example, out of ingredients in your refrigerator or construct an outfit out of articles of clothing in your closet. The noun form of construct, pronounced kon-struhkt, is anything that is built, either literally or figuratively. It is most often used figuratively to describe something that is made up of practices or ideas from a specific philosophy or school of thought. Constructs are often complex theories that are informed by many smaller ideas of the way things work. Example: The gas company tried to construct a new pipeline, but the pipes kept leaking.
Synonym Usage
See make 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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constructornoun
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overconstructverb (used with object)
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preconstructverb (used with object)
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constructibleadjective
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quasi-constructedadjective
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well-constructedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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constructsimple
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constructssimple
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have constructedperfect
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has constructedperfect
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am constructingprogressive
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are constructingprogressive
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is constructingprogressive
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have been constructingperfect progressive
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has been constructingperfect progressive
Past
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constructedsimple
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had constructedperfect
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was constructingprogressive
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were constructingprogressive
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had been constructingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of construct
First recorded in 1400–50 for earlier past participle sense; 1655–65 for current senses; late Middle English, from Latin constrūctus (past participle of construere “to construe ”), equivalent to con- con- + strūc- (variant stem of struere “to build”) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To construct things is to build them. You might construct a sand castle the next time you're at the beach, or you might construct a theory about why your brother always manages to get away with breaking the rules. The verb construct comes from the Latin word constructus, meaning “to heap up.” If you work in construction you're in the business of building things, and you probably construct buildings, roads, municipal parks, and other large permanent structures. Students of psychology are familiar with the noun form of construct, which refers to an abstract concept. Much of psychological theory is founded on constructs — like gender, morality, and intelligence.
Vocabulary lists containing construct
Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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Ancient Egypt and Kush, Lessons 1–3
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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:
The team then used observed changes in land use to construct counterfactual scenarios.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
Spielberg’s vision also reportedly included more than $7 million worth of renovations, as well as plans to construct a 2,400-square-foot guesthouse and a three-story guardhouse.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Even if Evans does not get an opportunity to construct Version 2.0 of the Expos, life has been good since McCourt sent him packing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
So far, though, there are no binding agreements to fund, construct, own or operate this facility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The teachers introduced a program that explicitly trained the students to construct coherent arguments, with a focus on the connections between successive ideas.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
“It’s another medium for me to be able to articulate or dismantle those constructs around what makes sense together,” Kelela says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
"What you see them do is navigate a world with the constructs of capitalism," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Roan’s lipstick gone “awry” on her teeth brings a camp sensibility to both mock and celebrate feminine performance that resists traditional heteronormative constructs.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
In the other half, we reduced expression using "Tough Decoy" constructs.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 17, 2026
They are simply mathematical constructs that make the mathematical operations in string theory work in the manner that they have to.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Berkeley’s founding in 1868 was California’s bid for civic and economic legitimacy, initially constructed on the federal government’s support of land-grant universities that taught agriculture and mining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
If you are looking to by a newly constructed home, builders are offering a variety of incentives, as Aarthi Swaminathan reported.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Trump and his chosen leaders of the Kennedy Center have argued that its main building, which was constructed in the 1960s, is in a state of dangerous disrepair.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Upper Trishuli 1 was constructed for water flows, not a massive debris-laden surge like in the August disaster, with boulders as big as 25 feet across, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The term sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women, while gender refers to society’s constructed roles, expectations, behaviors, attitudes, and activities that it deems appropriate for men and women.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
This isn’t about optimizing every meal, spending three hours prepping identical containers or constructing the sort of Sunday routine that makes you feel behind when you inevitably skip it.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
The arts center was founded by acclaimed Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, who Florenz said has proposed constructing a permanent building for the coffins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
That’s where he will put down roots, at least temporarily, by constructing a treehouse, which he expects to cost between $10,000 and $20,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
It started with a sudden, strong gust of air, says Pemba Dundu Tamang, whose team of about 30 was constructing the tunnel's concrete lining.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
When the earth came alive it began constructing its own membrane, for the general purpose of editing the sun.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
