verb , noun
■ verb / kənˈstrʌkt; NAmE / [ vn ]
1.
[ often passive ] construct sth (from / out of / of sth) to build or make sth such as a road, building or machine :
When was the bridge constructed?
They constructed a shelter out of fallen branches.
➡ note at build
2.
to form sth by putting different things together
SYN put together :
You must learn how to construct a logical argument.
to construct a theory
a well-constructed novel
3.
( geometry ) to draw a line or shape according to the rules of mathematics :
to construct a triangle
■ noun / ˈkɒnstrʌkt; NAmE ˈkɑːn-/ ( formal )
1.
an idea or a belief that is based on various pieces of evidence which are not always true :
a contrast between lived reality and the construct held in the mind
2.
( linguistics ) a group of words that form a phrase
3.
a thing that is built or made
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin construct- heaped together, built, from the verb construere , from con- together + struere pile, build.