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:
He then promoted his work in San Diego to improve student performance, raise teacher salaries and construct “environmentally sustainable schools built by union workers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
To investigate these hidden cell populations, Alexis worked with Dr. Maria Secrier's computational biology team at UCL to construct a detailed picture of the tumor and the immune and support cells surrounding it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026
By now, that type of aggressive maneuver is known as Snead’s trademark, a teambuilding approach that has reshaped decades of thinking about how to construct a championship roster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Mladić was brought up in the new, post-war construct of Yugoslavia.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“I’m just pointing out that your construct has gotten out of alignment with reality.”
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
He and Erkılıç have achieved international acclaim for their team’s decades of foundational experimentation collaborating with dataset intelligences at the AI frontier, as well as for architecturally-scaled, narratively engaged visual embodiments of abstract technological constructs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
"What you see them do is navigate a world with the constructs of capitalism," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Then he secretly purchases a passel of tortoises; constructs a long-handled grabber; leans down from his balcony; extracts Alfie; and, each week, substitutes a slightly heavier impostor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 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
They have no manipulative organs, they make no engineering constructs, but they are social creatures.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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
In the city of New Amsterdam, they grew crops and constructed important sites, including the palisade in 1653 that gave today’s Wall Street its name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
"These next steps could help us better understand when the stones were moved and how these extraordinary monuments were constructed," Dr. Clarke said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
He’ll be manning a pro-style scheme in 2026 constructed by first-time offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville, who comes to Berkeley after three years as Baker Mayfield’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
During the drafting process in the summer of 1796, Washington kept urging Hamilton to insert a separate section on the creation of a national university in the capital city now being constructed on the Potomac.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
In contrast, neighboring Utah recycles very little of its water and is even constructing artificial recreational projects far inland, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
He said that principle was essential to "constructing an economy that is fit for the 21st Century".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Evolution is chiseling a sculpture, not constructing a building," Gokcumen said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
Decking out background actors on the HBO period drama is months in the making, with in-house milliners tasked with constructing eye-catching headwear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
He laid everything out and started constructing it.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
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.
