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 construct of volatility derivatives remains very bullish for stocks as well.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
This chef is also a fictional construct by “Tony” writer-director Matt Johnson and co-writers Todd Bartels, Lou Howe and Matthew Miller.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Congress authorized reconstruction after the British burned the White House during the War of 1812 and specifically appropriated money used to construct the original East and West Wings.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
That is in bonds that have been sold by companies to construct data centers for hyperscalers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Its expressions of equality are generally used to corroborate some existing doctrine, and little if any effort is expended to construct counter-examples.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
The ecosystem does not wait for evidence; it constructs a narrative framework into which evidence, if it ever appears, can be slotted later.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
"What you see them do is navigate a world with the constructs of capitalism," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
"What we conclude is that these color qualities don't emerge from additional external constructs such as cultural or learned experiences but reflect the intrinsic properties of the color metric itself," Bujack said.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2026
On this promising foundation, Ms. Day constructs a drama that is airy yet biting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Finally, Leonardo constructs a clay model of the horse, which he needs to make the mold for the casting, and the model becomes the wonder of Milan.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Their conversation explores characters who hide their true nature behind carefully constructed personas, the role of technology in enabling obsession and revenge, and the social rituals that define contemporary London.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
It’s all balanced with carefully constructed and outrageously funny physical comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Mills explained that the original parterre - which is a French word meaning 'on the ground' - had been constructed in 1705, and would have "cost an absolute fortune to install".
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
He brought with him perhaps 60,000 soldiers, along with numerous cannons, some of enormous size, to besiege the city; a newly constructed fleet patrolled the Bosporus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
An immediate consequence, therefore, which is the subject of Chapter 4, was a radical transformation in the understanding of how the Earth is constructed: the emergence of the concept of the terraqueous globe.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
When a builder is constructing a home, the taxes are based on the value of the land.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
This suggests AI may prove to be just as valuable for discovering unexpected mathematical objects as it is for constructing proofs.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
The team revived original furnishings and interior and exterior walls, while constructing a new ADA-compliant Victorian carpenter gothic cottage with stylish board and batten siding, modeled after a 19th-century Sears kit house.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Tom Homan has spent years constructing the persona of a man who never backs down.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
When Joe tired of this, Harry spent a long evening in the company shop constructing a go-cart.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
