/ ˌriːkənˈstrʌkʃn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U ] the process of changing or improving the condition of sth or the way it works; the process of putting sth back into the state it was in before :
the post-war reconstruction of Germany
a reconstruction period
2.
[ U ] the activity of building again sth that has been damaged or destroyed :
the reconstruction of the sea walls
3.
[ C ] a copy of sth that no longer exists :
The doorway is a 19th century reconstruction of Norman work.
4.
[ C ] a short film showing events that are known to have happened in order to try and get more information or better understanding, especially about a crime :
Last night police staged a reconstruction of the incident.
5.
Reconstruction [ U ] (in the US) the period after the Civil War when the southern states returned to the US and laws were passed that gave rights to African Americans