Construe
/kənˈstruː/
verbC1
Definition
Construe means to interpret or explain the meaning of something. When you construe a sentence or a person's behavior, you decide what it means or how to understand it. It often involves thinking carefully about what is said or done to find its meaning.
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See It in Action
To explain or understand the meaning of words or sentences
- •She construed his silence as agreement.
- •The judge construed the law in favor of the defendant.
- •Different people can construe the same message in different ways.
To interpret actions or behavior in a particular way
- •His smile was construed as a sign of friendliness.
- •The gesture was construed as rude by some members of the audience.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "construe" like "understand," but more about how you explain or decide the meaning, not just knowing it
- ✓Picture a person reading a letter and trying to find the hidden meaning behind the words
- ✓It's the feeling when you try to guess what someone really means after they say something unclear
- ✓Sounds like "con-STRUE" → imagine you are "struing" (stringing) together ideas to make sense of a message
- ✓Think of a detective trying to construe clues to solve a mystery by understanding what they mean
- ✓NOT like "hear" (just listen to sounds), "construe" means to actively think about what those sounds or words mean
- ✓NOT like "see" (just notice), "construe" means to give meaning or explanation to what is seen or heard
Try Other Words
- •Interpret: to explain the meaning of something (Use when focusing on explaining or giving meaning to words or actions)
- •Explain: to make clear or easy to understand (Use when you want to make the meaning clear to others)
- •Read: to understand or find meaning in text or signs (Use when talking about finding meaning in written or spoken words)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "con-" (together, with) + "strue" (from Latin "struere," meaning to build or arrange)
- •Etymology: From Latin "construere," meaning to build together or arrange, later meaning to interpret or explain
- •Historical development: Originally about building or arranging parts; later used in language to mean arranging words to understand meaning
- •Modern usage: Used mainly in formal or academic contexts to mean interpreting or explaining meaning carefully
Reflect & Connect
•How can different people construe the same sentence in very different ways?
•When is it important to construe a message carefully rather than just understand it quickly?
Fill in the blanks
1.When someone is unclear, we often need to construe their words ___ to understand the true meaning.
2.His actions were construed ___ as a sign of anger, but he was actually joking.
3.Unlike simply hearing, to construe something requires ___ thinking about its meaning.
4.The lawyer tried to construe the contract ___ in favor of her client.
5.People can construe the same message ___ depending on their own feelings or experiences.
6.It is important to construe written instructions ___ to avoid mistakes.
7.Sometimes, what you construe from someone's tone can be very different from their ___ intention.