I. kən-ˈstrəkt transitive verb
Etymology: Latin constructus, past participle of construere, from com- + struere to build — more at structure
Date: 1663
1. : to make or form by combining or arranging parts or elements : build ; also : contrive , devise
2. : to draw (a geometrical figure) with suitable instruments and under specified conditions
3. : to set in logical order
• con·struct·abil·i·ty also con·struct·ibil·i·ty -ˌstrək-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē noun
• con·struct·able or con·struct·ible -ˈstrək-tə-bəl adjective
• con·struc·tor -tər noun
II. ˈkän-ˌstrəkt noun
Date: 1933
1. : something constructed by the mind: as
a. : a theoretical entity
the deductive study of abstract construct s — D. 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