/ ˌdiːkənˈstrʌkʃn; NAmE / noun
[ U ] ( technical ) ( in literature and philosophy ) a theory that states that it is impossible for a text to have one fixed meaning, and emphasizes the role of the reader in the production of meaning
—compare structuralism
► de·con·struc·tion·ist noun , adjective :
a deconstructionist critic / approach
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 19th cent. (originally in the general sense taking to pieces ): from de- (expressing reversal) + construction .