construct

The word “construct” means to build something by putting parts together. In plain terms, to build something, or (as a noun) an idea built from other ideas.

“Construct” is pronounced KON-struhkt (/ˈkɑn.stɹʌkt/ in IPA).

Here is “construct” used in a sentence: “Workers constructed the bridge in under two years.”

Words with a similar meaning to “construct” include something constructed from parts.

The opposite of “construct” — its antonyms — are destroy, disassemble, dismantle, ruin and wreck.

Depending on how it is used, “construct” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “construct” comes from Latin. From Latin construere, "to heap together," from com- ("together") + struere ("to pile up"). A close cousin of "construe.".

“Construct” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Build is the everyday word for making something, from houses to friendships. Construct is more formal and stresses assembling parts systematically, so it suits engineering, official writing, and abstract things such as arguments or theories.

A social construct is an idea or category that people collectively create and agree on rather than one that exists independently in nature; money and table manners are often-cited examples. The phrase draws on the noun sense of construct: a concept built up from simpler parts.

Yes. The noun is stressed on the first syllable (CON-struct), while the verb is stressed on the second (con-STRUCT). The same shift appears in pairs like record, permit, and increase.

In psychology, a construct is a concept built to describe something that cannot be observed directly, such as intelligence, motivation, or anxiety. Researchers define constructs precisely so they can be measured through tests and observable behaviour.