Constructing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The activity of bringing together materials or concepts involves methodical arrangement and creativity
2. The undertaking of designing and building structures or ideas requires thoughtful organization and planning
3. The process of assembling and creating both physical structures and abstract ideas necessitates careful organization and innovative thinking

Etymology: "Constructing" is the present participle of "construct," so the real story belongs to the verb. Its root is the Latin "struere," meaning "to heap up" or "to pile," and the Latin prefix "com-" ("together") was added to form "construere," which gave the sense of piling things up together. The past participle "constructus" then passed into English as "construct." The verb has a sibling word, "construe," which came into English through Old French and kept a related sense: to analyse how words fit together in a sentence. The two words diverged over time, one becoming a term for building and the other for interpretation. The core idea of piling materials into a structure is still visible in "constructing." Someone who is constructing something is, at root, heaping parts together until they form a whole. The same Latin root appears in "structure," "instruct," and "destroy," which is a helpful reminder that many words that seem unrelated share a common ancestor in the act of piling and arranging things.

Synonyms: building, erecting, assembling, fabricating, creating

Antonyms: destroying, demolishing, tearing down, ruining, dismantling