construction
construction — noun
1. the activity of putting up buildings, roads, bridges, or other large structures
the activity of putting up buildings, roads, bridges, or other large structures — including the planning, preparation, and physical work involved.
The construction of the new airport runway began last spring and finished in December.
construction + of + [structure]
All workers must wear helmets on the construction site for safety reasons.
construction site — common compound noun
Yusuf found steady work in construction after completing his training course.
in construction — field/industry usage
The new hospital is currently under construction and should open next year.
under construction — fixed phrase
- construction + of
- under construction
- construction site
- construction project
- construction work
- construction company
- in construction
- demolition
the process of pulling down buildings or structures
Grammar Patterns
construction + of + noun
Usage Note
This sense is uncountable and refers to the process or industry. For an individual building, use sense 4 (a countable noun). When referring to the industry as a whole, it is often used without an article: 'She works in construction.'
Common Mistakes
2. the business and all the people involved in building, repairing, and maintaining
the business and all the people involved in building, repairing, and maintaining buildings, roads, and other structures — seen as an economic sector.
The construction industry employs millions of workers across the country.
the construction industry — standard term for the sector
Leila's father has worked in construction for over thirty years as a project manager.
in construction — working in the sector
New safety laws have changed the way the construction business operates.
construction business — referring to companies in the sector
The construction sector grew quickly after the government funded new road projects.
construction sector — another term for the industry
- construction industry
- construction sector
- construction business
- in construction
- construction company
- construction worker
- construction project
- building trade
more traditional and narrower; often refers to manual trades like bricklaying and carpentry
Grammar Patterns
in construction
the construction industry
Usage Note
Use 'in construction' (no article) when describing someone's field of work: 'She is in construction.' Use 'the construction industry' or 'the construction sector' when referring to the economic sector as a whole. This sense is uncountable.
Common Mistakes
3. the particular materials, design, or method used when something is built or made
the particular materials, design, or method used when something is built or made — referring to how solid, strong, or well-designed an object is.
The table has a solid wooden construction that should last for decades.
adjective + construction (solid wooden construction)
Modern construction methods use steel frames and glass panels.
construction methods — how something is built
The new playground equipment is of light construction and can be moved easily.
of + adjective + construction — describing quality
These shelves are of poor construction — one side already fell off.
poor construction — negative quality collocation
The architect explained the steel-and-concrete construction of the stadium roof.
[material]-and-[material] construction
- solid construction
- poor construction
- light construction
- wooden/steel/concrete construction
- of + adj + construction
- construction methods
Grammar Patterns
[noun] + construction
construction + of + [material]
Usage Note
Often paired with adjectives describing quality (solid, sturdy, poor, flimsy, light) or materials (wooden, steel, concrete, brick). The phrase 'of + adjective + construction' is a common formal pattern.
Common Mistakes
4. a physical structure such as a bridge, dam, tower, or stadium that people have p
a physical structure such as a bridge, dam, tower, or stadium that people have put up.
The stone construction near the river was once a grain mill.
stone construction — material + construction (a structure made of stone)
Several new constructions along the coast have changed the view of the beach.
new constructions — plural for multiple buildings
That old construction at the corner served as a library for fifty years.
old construction — age + construction
The wooden construction in the park was a bandstand built in the 1920s.
- stone/wooden/brick construction
- old construction
- new construction
Usage Note
This countable sense ('a construction') is less common than simply using 'building' or 'structure'. It is often used when the speaker wants to emphasise the building's age, material, or architectural style. In everyday conversation, 'building' is more natural.
5. a patterned way that a language lets you place words together inside a statement
a patterned way that a language lets you place words together inside a statement, like the passive pattern or a conditional pattern.
The passive construction is often used in formal academic writing.
passive construction — grammar term + construction
Students practiced the 'used to' construction to talk about past habits.
The teacher explained that 'there is' and 'there are' form a special construction in English.
During English class, Ms. Chen showed how the passive construction appears in news reports.
classroom scene — teacher demonstrating a grammar pattern
- passive construction
- active construction
- grammatical construction
- sentence construction
- conditional construction
Grammar Patterns
[grammatical term] + construction
Usage Note
In grammar teaching, the word is preceded by a modifier that names the type: 'passive construction', 'relative clause construction', 'comparative construction'. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation.
Common Mistakes
6. the way a person understands or views a situation, event, remark, or piece of in
the way a person understands or views a situation, event, remark, or piece of information — especially when there are different possible viewpoints.
Theo put a positive construction on the manager's vague comments about the future.
put + adjective + construction + on — fixed pattern
Nadia's construction of the email made it seem like an apology, but others disagreed.
construction + of + noun — how someone reads a text
One possible construction of the survey results is that customers want lower prices.
possible/plausible + construction — common modifier
The journalist put a very negative construction on the politician's speech.
- put a construction on
- positive/negative construction
- possible construction
- generous/strict construction
- construction of
- interpretation
more common in everyday language; less formal than 'construction'
- reading
informal; usually of texts or situations: 'my reading of the situation'
- take
informal noun: 'what's your take on this?'
Grammar Patterns
put a + adjective + construction + on + noun
construction + of + noun
Usage Note
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'put a [adjective] construction on [something]'. The adjective indicates the type of interpretation (positive, negative, strict, generous, fair, unfair). Distinguish from sense 7: this sense focuses on interpreting a broad situation or set of facts, while sense 7 focuses on the specific meaning of words or statements.
Common Mistakes
7. the specific meaning that a person or authority gives to a word, sentence, contr
the specific meaning that a person or authority gives to a word, sentence, contract, law, or action — often in a legal or official context where precision matters.
The judge placed a strict construction on the term 'reasonable force' in the contract.
strict construction — legal term; narrow interpretation of law
A broad construction of the safety rules allows the inspector to close any unsafe factory.
broad construction — wide interpretation of a rule
The lawyer argued for a different construction of the clause in the lease agreement.
construction of the clause — legal/phrasal pattern
What construction should we put on her decision to leave without saying goodbye?
- strict construction
- broad/liberal construction
- put a construction on
- construction of the clause/term/law
- interpretation
broader and less formal; works in both legal and non-legal settings
- reading
slightly less formal; 'a reading of the text'
Grammar Patterns
put + construction + on + noun (words/statement/action)
Usage Note
Common in legal contexts: 'strict construction' (narrow, literal reading) vs 'broad/liberal construction' (wider reading that considers purpose). In non-legal contexts, sense 6 (INTERPRETATION) is more natural. The verb form 'construe' is related: 'The term is construed broadly.'
Common Mistakes
8. the process of creating or forming something from ideas, knowledge, or mental ef
the process of creating or forming something from ideas, knowledge, or mental effort — such as building a theory, an argument, or a worldview.
The construction of a scientific theory requires years of observation and testing.
construction of a theory — abstract mental building
Philosophers debate the social construction of gender roles in different cultures.
social construction — key academic collocation
The construction of a convincing argument takes careful planning and evidence.
The researcher's construction of a new model helped explain the patients' behaviour.
construction of a model — academic/analytical use
- social construction
- construction of knowledge/identity/reality/theory
- mental construction
- intellectual construction
- formation
implies a natural or gradual process rather than deliberate building
- development
suggests growth over time rather than active assembly
- deconstruction
the analysis and taking apart of ideas or theories
Grammar Patterns
construction + of + abstract noun
Usage Note
Common in academic and formal contexts, especially in phrases like 'social construction' (sociology), 'the construction of identity/knowledge/reality'. The related verb 'construct' is more common in everyday use: 'She constructed a strong argument.'
Common Mistakes
Word family
- constructverbB1
- constructiveadjectiveB2
- constructornounC1
- reconstructverbB2
- reconstructionnounB2
- deconstructverbC1
- deconstructionnounC1
- construalnounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Construction' is the broadest term, covering the entire process of putting up large structures such as buildings, bridges, and roads. 'Building' can refer to the same activity but is less formal and often describes smaller-scale or ongoing work ('The building of the shed took a weekend'). 'Assembly' suggests putting together pre-made parts, like flat-pack furniture, rather than building from raw materials. 'Erection' is formal and narrowly describes raising a vertical structure upright — you'd find it on signs ('Erection of scaffolding next week') but rarely in conversation. 'Fabrication' typically applies to manufactured components in a workshop ('steel beam fabrication'), not to on-site work. If you are talking about a major infrastructure project involving foundations, frameworks, and finishing, 'construction' is the natural word. For a fence or a garden shed, 'building' sounds more natural.
Common collocations
Etymology
From Latin 'constructio', from 'construere' — 'con-' meaning 'together' and 'struere' meaning 'to pile up' or 'to build'. The word passed into English through Old French 'construction' in the 14th century, initially referring to the act of building. By the 16th century it had acquired the grammatical and interpretive meanings, following the same metaphorical extension seen in the verb 'construe'.