ENGLISH
REFERENCE

construction

n.
US //kənˈstɹəkʃən// UK //kənstɹˈʌkʃən// con·struc·tion
  1. 1 building process (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act or process of building something large, like a house, bridge, or road.

    the process of building or assembling a large-scale structure, such as an edifice or infrastructure.

    Example

    The new library is still under construction and should open next year.

    Example

    The construction of the high-speed rail link was delayed by several months due to unforeseen geological challenges and budget overruns.

    Usage

    often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the activity itself.
  2. 2 the building industry (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the business or trade of building houses and other structures.

    the commercial sector or industry involved in the creation of buildings and infrastructure.

    Example

    He found a well-paying job in construction after finishing school.

    Example

    Economic analysts noted a sharp decline in construction activity following the sudden increase in interest rates and material costs.

    Usage

    frequently used as a modifier before other nouns like 'worker' or 'site'.
    • building trade
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  1. 3 a structure (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    something that has been built, such as a large building or a model.

    a physical entity or structure that has been built or assembled.

    Example

    The old bridge was a massive construction made of stone and iron.

    Example

    The architect designed a temporary construction of glass and timber to house the exhibition during the summer festival.

    Usage

    countable in this sense.
  2. 4 grammar (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Technical Science

    the way words are put together to make a phrase or sentence.

    the arrangement of words or grammatical elements to form a meaningful phrase or sentence.

    Example

    The teacher explained that this specific construction requires a gerund.

    Example

    The passive construction is frequently employed in scientific writing to maintain an objective and impersonal tone.

    Usage

    refers specifically to the syntactic arrangement of language.
  3. 5 interpretation (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical Law

    the way you understand or explain the meaning of something.

    the act of interpreting or assigning a specific meaning to a statement, action, or law.

    Example

    It is difficult to put a positive construction on such a rude comment.

    Example

    The court was asked to provide a definitive construction of the disputed clause in the contract to prevent further litigation.

    Usage

    often used with the verb 'to put' as in 'to put a construction on something'.
Origin

From Middle English construccioun, construction, from Old French construction, from Latin cōnstructiō, from cōnstruere. Morphologically construct + -ion.

Word family

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