construct

1 of 2

verb

con·​struct kən-ˈstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
constructed; constructing; constructs
Synonyms of construct

transitive verb

1
: to make or form by combining or arranging parts or elements : build
construct a bridge
also : contrive, devise
construct a plan
2
: to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under specified conditions
Construct a regular hexagon with sides 3 inches long.
3
: to set in logical order
constructability noun
or less commonly constructibility
kən-ˌstrək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce construct (audio)
constructable adjective
or constructible
kən-ˈstrək-tə-bəl How to pronounce construct (audio)
constructor
kən-ˈstrək-tər How to pronounce construct (audio)
noun

construct

2 of 2

noun

con·​struct ˈkän-ˌstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
1
: something constructed by the mind: such as
a
: a theoretical entity
… the deductive study of abstract constructs …—Daniel J. Boorstin
b
: a working hypothesis or concept
The unconscious was a construct that came from the daily effort to understand patients.
2
: a product of ideology, history, or social circumstances
Privacy is more than a social construct or an idea; it is a condition of the body.—Sallie Tisdale

Synonyms of construct

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of construct in a Sentence

Verb They plan to construct a barn behind the house. The author constructs all the stories around one theme. Construct a triangle that has sides of equal length. Noun He argues that time is a subjective construct with no objective existence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Originally constructed in the 1860s to house two battalions of the British Army, Chelsea Barracks served as an important military base for more than 140 years before being decommissioned in 2008. — Nick Scott, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026 Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing issued a tender for constructing several compounds with more than 1,200 homes in total in an open tract of land east of Jerusalem. — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
There’s surprisingly little ring-slinging in episode two, but the implications of John, a novice Lantern, both creating an apparently sentient construct and controlling it without the ring in his possession are pretty enormous for DC’s mythology. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026 Based on the first novella in Martha Wells’ book series, Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients, played by Skarsgård. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for construct

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Latin constructus, past participle of construere, from com- + struere to build — more at structure

First Known Use

Verb

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of construct was in 1551

Phrases Containing construct

Rhymes for construct

See All Rhymes for construct

Browse Nearby Words

construal
construct
construct form
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Construct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/construct. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

construct

verb
con·​struct
kən-ˈstrəkt
1
: to make or form by combining or arranging parts : build
2
: to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under given conditions
constructable adjective
or constructible
-ˈstrək-tə-bəl
constructor
-ˈstrək-tər
noun

Medical Definition

construct

noun
con·​struct ˈkän-ˌstrəkt How to pronounce construct (audio)
: something constructed especially by mental synthesis
form a construct of a physical object by mentally assembling and integrating sense-data

More from Merriam-Webster on construct

Nglish: Translation of construct for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about construct

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