Construction vs. Construe — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 6, 2024
Construction involves the process of building something physically, like a structure or system; construe means interpreting or understanding the meaning of a word, sentence, or action.
Difference Between Construction and Construe
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Construction refers to the physical act of assembling materials to create buildings, roads, or other structures. While construe involves the mental process of interpreting or assigning meaning to words, actions, or events.
In construction, the focus is on material selection, techniques, and the practical application of engineering principles to create tangible outcomes. On the other hand, construe deals with abstract concepts, focusing on linguistic or psychological interpretations.
The skills required in construction are often physical and technical, involving manual labor, machinery operation, and precise planning. Whereas, construe requires analytical, critical thinking, and often linguistic skills to decode and understand communications or behaviors.
Construction projects are typically visible, measurable, and often require collaboration among various professionals like architects, engineers, and construction workers. In contrast, construing is usually an individual cognitive task that can involve legal, literary, or everyday contexts where interpretation is needed.
Professionals in construction might include builders, engineers, and architects, all contributing to the creation of physical structures. Conversely, those who commonly engage in construing might be judges, literary critics, or any individual trying to understand complex or ambiguous information.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Building physical structures or systems
Interpreting meaning or intention
Primary Skill Required
Technical, manual labor
Analytical, critical thinking
Focus
Material and structural integrity
Linguistic or psychological insight
Output
Tangible structures
Interpretations or understandings
Common Practitioners
Builders, engineers, architects
Judges, critics, everyday people
Compare with Definitions
Construction
The process of building something, typically a large structure.
The construction of the new bridge will start next month.
Construe
To interpret or understand the meaning of a word, phrase, or action.
How should we construe his silence in this meeting?
Construction
The act or art of constructing.
His skill in construction is evident in the sturdy buildings he creates.
Construe
To analyze the arrangement and intended meaning of words or sentences.
The statute must be construed in light of contemporary conditions.
Construction
The arrangement or relation of parts in a complex entity.
This model demonstrates the construction of a human cell.
Construe
To take in a particular way.
His comments can be construed as offensive by some.
Construction
The industry involved in assembling buildings, roads, or other infrastructures.
She works in construction management, overseeing project progress.
Construe
To make sense of; explain or interpret.
Scholars construe ancient texts to understand historical contexts.
Construction
The way something is built or put together.
The construction of the novel is unique, with multiple overlapping narratives.
Construe
To draw a conclusion based on analysis.
From her expression, I construed that she was unhappy with the decision.
Construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations, and comes from Latin constructio (from com- "together" and struere "to pile up") and Old French construction. To construct is the verb: the act of building, and the noun is construction: how something is built, the nature of its structure.
Construe
To understand or explain the meaning of (something), especially in a particular way; interpret
The waiter construed my smile as assent. The editorial construed the act as irresponsible.
Construction
The act or process of constructing.
Construe
To analyze the structure of (a clause or sentence).
Construction
The art, trade, or work of building
An engineer trained in highway construction.
Worked in construction for seven years.
Construe
To use syntactically
The noun fish can be construed as singular or plural.
Construction
A structure, such as a building, framework, or model.
Construe
To translate, especially aloud.
Construction
Something fashioned or devised systematically
A nation that was glorious in its historical construction.
Construe
To analyze grammatical structure.
Construction
An artistic composition using various materials; an assemblage or a collage.
Construe
To be subject to grammatical analysis.
Construction
The way in which something is built or put together
A shelter of simple construction.
Construe
An interpretation or translation.
Construction
The interpretation or explanation given to an expression or a statement
I was inclined to put a favorable construction on his reply.
Construe
A translation.
Construction
(Grammar) An arrangement of words forming a grammatical phrase, clause, or sentence.
Construe
An interpretation.
Construction
The process of constructing.
Construction is underway on the new bridge.
Construe
(transitive) To interpret or explain the meaning of something.
Construction
Anything that has been constructed.
The engineer marvelled at his construction.
Construe
To analyze the grammatical structure of a clause or sentence; to parse.
Construction
The trade of building structures.
He had worked in construction all his life.
Construe
To admit of grammatical analysis.
Construction
A building, model or some other structure.
The office was a construction of steel and glass.
Construe
(transitive) To translate.
Construction
(arts) A (usually non-representational) structure, such as a collage etc.
"Construction in string and clockwork" took first prize.
Construe
To infer.
Construction
The manner in which something is built.
A thing of simple construction.
Construe
To apply the rules of syntax to (a sentence or clause) so as to exhibit the structure, arrangement, or connection of, or to discover the sense; to explain the construction of; to interpret; to translate.
Construction
(grammar) A group of words arranged to form a meaningful phrase.
Construe
To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand.
Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies.
And to be dull was construed to be good.
Construction
The act or result of construing the meaning of something.
American conservatives tend to favor strict construction of the Constitution.
Construe
Make sense of; assign a meaning to;
What message do you see in this letter?
How do you interpret his behavior?
Construction
The meaning or interpretation of a text, action etc.; the way something is viewed by an observer or onlooker.
Construction
(geometry) A geometric figure of arcs and line segments that is drawable with a straightedge and compass.
Construction
The process or art of constructing; the act of building; erection; the act of devising and forming; fabrication; composition.
Construction
The form or manner of building or putting together the parts of anything; structure; arrangement.
An astrolabe of peculiar construction.
Construction
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.
Construction
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.
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.
Interpretation properly precedes construction, but it does not go beyond the written text.
Construction
The act of constructing or building something;
During the construction we had to take a detour
His hobby was the building of boats
Construction
The commercial activity involved in constructing buildings;
Their main business is home construction
Workers in the building trades
Construction
A thing constructed; a complex construction or entity;
The structure consisted of a series of arches
She wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons
Construction
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
Construction
The creation of a construct; the process of combining ideas into a congruous object of thought
Construction
An interpretation of a text or action;
They put an unsympathetic construction on his conduct
Construction
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
Common Curiosities
Can construction involve software?
Yes, the term construction can also apply to software engineering, which involves building and assembling code in a systematic way.
What is the main focus of construction?
The main focus of construction is building and assembling physical structures or systems.
What does it mean to construe something?
To construe something means to interpret or assign meaning to it, typically words, actions, or events.
How does context affect how something is construed?
Context can greatly affect interpretation, as it provides background that can alter or clarify the meaning of words or actions.
What is an example of a construction project?
An example of a construction project is the building of a new school or a highway overpass.
What are common tools used in construction?
Common tools in construction include hammers, drills, cranes, and software for design and project management.
How important is precision in construction?
Precision is crucial in construction to ensure safety, functionality, and longevity of structures.
What could be the consequence of misinterpreting something?
Misinterpreting something can lead to misunderstandings, incorrect legal judgments, or miscommunication.
Is construing always related to language?
While often related to language, construing can also involve the interpretation of actions, intentions, or visual elements.
Are there professional roles focused on construing?
Yes, roles such as judges, legal professionals, and literary critics often focus on construing texts and behaviors.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
