Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

con·struc·tion       (kən-strŭk'shən)  Pronunciation Key  n.   The act or process of constructing. The art, trade, or work of building: an engineer trained in highway construction; worked in construction for seven years. A structure, such as a building, framework, or model. Something fashioned or devised systematically: a nation that was glorious in its historical construction. An artistic composition using various materials; an assemblage or a collage. The arrangement of words to form a meaningful phrase, clause, or sentence. A group of words so arranged. A structure, such as a building, framework, or model. Something fashioned or devised systematically: a nation that was glorious in its historical construction. An artistic composition using various materials; an assemblage or a collage. The arrangement of words to form a meaningful phrase, clause, or sentence. A group of words so arranged. The way in which something is built or put together: a shelter of simple construction. The interpretation or explanation given to an expression or a statement: I was inclined to put a favorable construction on his reply. Grammar The arrangement of words to form a meaningful phrase, clause, or sentence. A group of words so arranged. con·struc'tion·al adj., con·struc'tion·al·ly adv.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
construction 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

construction
noun
1.	the act of constructing something; "during the construction we had to take a detour"; "his hobby was the building of boats"
2.	a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit; "I concluded from his awkward constructions that he was a foreigner" [ant: misconstruction]
3.	the creation of a construct; the process of combining ideas into a congruous object of thought
4.	a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons" [syn: structure]
5.	drawing a figure satisfying certain conditions as part of solving a problem or proving a theorem; "the assignment was to make a construction that could be used in proving the Pythagorean theorem"
6.	an interpretation of a text or action; "they put an unsympathetic construction on his conduct"
7.	the commercial activity involved in repairing old structures or constructing new ones; "their main business is home construction"; "workers in the building trades"

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: con·struc·tion
Pronunciation: k&n-'str&k-sh&n
Function: noun
: the act or result of construing, interpreting, or explaining meaning or effect (as of a statute or contract) construction placed upon an agreement —J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Construction

Con*struc"tion\, n. [L. constructio: cf. F. construction.]

1. The process or art of constructing; the act of building; erection; the act of devising and forming; fabrication; composition.

2. The form or manner of building or putting together the parts of anything; structure; arrangement.

An astrolabe of peculiar construction. --Whewell.

3. (Gram.) The arrangement and connection of words in a sentence; syntactical arrangement.

Some particles . . . in certain constructions have the sense of a whole sentence contained in them. --Locke.

4. The method of construing, interpreting, or explaining a declaration or fact; an attributed sense or meaning; understanding; explanation; interpretation; sense.

Any person . . . might, by the sort of construction that would be put on this act, become liable to the penalties of treason. --Hallam.

Strictly, the term [construction] signifies determining the meaning and proper effect of language by a consideration of the subject matter and attendant circumstances in connection with the words employed. --Abbott.

Interpretation properly precedes construction, but it does not go beyond the written text. --Parsons.

Construction of an equation (Math.), the drawing of such lines and figures as will represent geometrically the quantities in the equation, and their relations to each other.

Construction train (Railroad), a train for transporting men and materials for construction or repairs.