construction
High frequency (C1 on CEFR scale)Formal to neutral; common in academic, technical, business, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
The act, process, or manner of building something physically, especially large structures like buildings, bridges, or roads.
The creation or formation of something abstract (e.g., an argument, a sentence, a social identity) by arranging parts or ideas systematically. Also refers to the way something is interpreted or understood.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word spans concrete/physical and abstract/mental domains. In linguistics, it refers to grammatical structures. In social sciences, it refers to the idea that concepts (like gender) are socially constructed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in core meaning. The industry/sector is called 'the construction industry' in both. Minor spelling differences in related words (e.g., 'centre' vs. 'center' in 'construction centre').
Connotations
Largely identical. Can carry neutral, positive (progress, development), or negative (disruption, delays) connotations depending on context in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[N] of [N] (construction of a bridge)[ADJ] construction (civil construction)[V] construction (begin/complete/halt construction)construction [PREP] [N] (construction on the motorway)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Under construction”
- “A figment of one's imagination/construction”
- “Piecing together the construction of events”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the sector, projects, contracts, and management (e.g., 'The construction sector saw a 5% growth.').
Academic
Used in linguistics ('syntactic construction'), social sciences ('social construction of reality'), and engineering ('construction principles').
Everyday
Commonly refers to building work causing traffic or noise (e.g., 'There's construction on my street.').
Technical
Precise specifications in engineering, architecture, and computing (e.g., 'the construction of the database schema').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council plans to construct a new leisure centre.
- They are constructing a compelling case for the defence.
American English
- The city will construct a new library downtown.
- He constructed a detailed timeline of events.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as a primary adverb. Related form 'constructively'.
- They worked constructively to solve the issue.
American English
- Not commonly used as a primary adverb. Related form 'constructively'.
- Please provide feedback constructively.
adjective
British English
- Construction workers arrived on site at 7 am.
- We need more construction timber.
American English
- Construction crews are blocking the highway.
- All construction equipment must be inspected.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children used blocks for construction.
- There is a lot of construction near my house.
- The construction of the new hospital will take two years.
- Traffic is bad because of road construction.
- The company secured a major contract for commercial construction.
- His argument was based on a flawed logical construction.
- The social construction of gender roles varies across cultures.
- This linguistic construction is typical of formal registers.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CONstruction site where workers CONstruct a building. Both words start with 'CON-' and involve putting things together.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE BUILDINGS (e.g., 'construct an argument', 'the foundation of a theory', 'deconstruct a claim').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'конструкция' which is closer to 'design' or 'structure'. 'Construction' is the process; the result is often a 'structure' or 'building'.
- The abstract use ('social construction') may be translated as 'конструирование'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'construction' for a finished building (use 'structure' or 'building').
- Confusing 'under construction' (being built) with 'under reconstruction' (being rebuilt).
- Misspelling as 'constrution'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'construction' NOT typically refer to a physical building process?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning relates to physical building, it is extensively used for abstract concepts like arguments, theories, identities, and grammatical structures.
'Construction' refers to the process or act of building. 'Structure' refers to the final built object or its arrangement. A bridge is a structure; its construction took three years.
It is a fixed phrase meaning that a building or project is currently being built and is not yet complete.
No, 'construction' is a noun. The related verb is 'to construct'. The adjective is 'construction' (as in 'construction site') or 'constructive'.
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