/ kənˈstrʌkʃn; NAmE / noun
OF ROADS / BUILDINGS
1.
[ U ] the process or method of building or making sth, especially roads, buildings, bridges, etc. :
the construction industry
road construction
Work has begun on the construction of the new airport.
Our new offices are still under construction (= being built) .
the construction of a new database
2.
[ U ] the way that sth has been built or made :
strong in construction
ships of steel construction
➡ note at structure
BUILDING / STRUCTURE
3.
[ C ] ( formal ) a thing that has been built or made :
The summer house was a simple wooden construction.
GRAMMAR
4.
[ C ] the way in which words are used together and arranged to form a sentence, phrase, etc. :
grammatical constructions
OF THEORY, etc.
5.
[ U , C ] the creating of sth from ideas, opinions and knowledge :
the construction of a new theory
MEANING
6.
[ C ] ( formal ) the way in which words, actions, statements, etc. are understood by sb
SYN interpretation :
What construction do you put on this letter (= what do you think it means) ?
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via Old French from Latin constructio(n-) , from construere heap together, from con- together + struere pile, build.