construe

1 of 2

verb

con·​strue kən-ˈstrü 

construed; construing

transitive verb

1

: to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances

construed my actions as hostile

Her frustration was construed as anger.

2

: to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part)

construe this Latin sentence by Cicero

intransitive verb

: to construe a sentence or sentence part especially in connection with translating

construable

kən-ˈstrü-ə-bəl 

adjective

construe

2 of 2

noun

con·​strue ˈkän-ˌstrü 

: an act or the result of construing especially by piecemeal translation

Did you know?

Construe comes from the Latin verb construere, meaning "to construct." There is also misconstrue, meaning "to put a wrong construction (that is, a wrong interpretation) on" or "to misinterpret."

Did you know?

Construe can usually be translated as "interpret". It's often used in law; thus, an Attorney General might construe the term "serious injury" in a child-abuse law to include bruises, or a judge might construe language about gifts to "heirs" to include spouses. The IRS's construal of some of your activities might be different from your own—and much more expensive at tax time. Construing is also close to translating; so when the British say "public school", for instance, it should be construed or translated as "prep school" in American terms.

Synonyms

Verb

• clarify
• clear (up)
• demonstrate
• demystify
• elucidate
• explain
• explicate
• expound
• get across
• illuminate
• illustrate
• interpret
• simplify
• spell out
• unriddle

Examples of construe in a Sentence

Verb

The way the court construes various words has changed over time.

the role of the justices of the Supreme Court in construing the constitution

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Doing this while online connected to another human might be construed as a form of cheating or a violation of purity and spirit of quietude. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2024

Signs and posters must be under 2 feet by 3 feet, may not be attached to a pole or stick, and bear no message that may be construed as offensive. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 29 Nov. 2024

But even such vital counsel could now be construed as aiding and abetting. —Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Late Latin construere, from Latin, to construct

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1844, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

construe

verb

con·​strue

kən-ˈstrü

construed; construing

1

: to explain the grammatical relationships of the words in a sentence, clause, or phrase

2

: to understand or explain the sense or intention of : interpret

construable

-ˈstrü-ə-bəl

adjective