framework

American  

[fraym-wurk] / ˈfreɪmˌwɜrk /

noun

• frameworks
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• underframework
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frameworks
  plural

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

See Examples For:

framework frameworks

To trade under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new framework, a token must give its holder the same rights as a regular share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

"We also welcome the European Parliament's leadership in championing a harmonised, Europe-wide framework to keep kids safe," Cook said during a visit to an Apple store in Strasbourg.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

But it goes back to the framework I laid out at the beginning.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

"MEGATRON provides a common physical framework for interpreting two of astronomy's most exciting new datasets: JWST's view of the earliest galaxies and the stellar fossil record," said Dr. Rey.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

But the old framework that fit her ideals was gone now that Arize and Aunty Ifeka and Uncle Mbaezi would always be frozen faces in her album.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Yet, the technology underpinning autonomous warfare risks outpacing the Russian and Ukrainian frameworks for maintaining some degree of human control over weapons.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

Physicists have spent decades trying to combine these frameworks into a single description of nature.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

The focus now shifts to federal regulators who are working on their own frameworks to develop industry regulation and have expressed their willingness to accommodate crypto products in the mainstream financial system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The department said it was also reviewing policies and frameworks covering staff conduct, acceptable use and its fraud response plan.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 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

Related Words

• groundwork
• plan
• scheme
• structure