construe

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kənˈstruː/, X-SAMPA: /k@n"stru:/

Etymology

From Late Latin construo (“to relate grammatically”), from Latin construo (“pile together”)

Noun

construe (plural construes)

1. A translation.
2. An interpretation.

Translations

translation

• Bulgarian: превод (bg) (prevod) m
• Polish: tłumaczenie (pl) n, translacja (pl) f

• Russian: перевод (ru) (perevod) m

interpretation

• Bulgarian: тълкуване (bg) (tǎlkuvane) n
• Polish: interpretacja (pl) f, tłumaczenie (pl) n

• Russian: толкование (ru) (tolkovanije) n, истолкование (ru) (istolkovanije) n

Verb

construe (third-person singular simple present construes, present participle construing, simple past and past participle construed)

1. To interpret or explain the meaning of something.

   The world must construe according to its wits; this court must construe according to the law.

   Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons, 1954

2. (grammar) To analyze the grammatical structure of a clause or sentence.
3. To translate.

Derived terms

• construction
• misconstrue

Translations

to interpret or explain the meaning of something

• Bulgarian: тълкувам (bg) (tǎlkuvam)
• Dutch: begrijpen (nl), uitleggen (nl)
• Finnish: tulkita (fi)
• French: expliquer (fr), comprendre (fr)

• Hungarian: értelmez (hu)
• Polish: interpretować (pl), tłumaczyć (pl)
• Russian: толковать (ru) (tolkovatʹ), истолковывать (ru) (istolkovyvatʹ)

to analyze the grammatical structure

• Bulgarian: правя разбор (bg) (pravja razbor)
• Finnish: jäsentää (fi)
• Hungarian: elemez (hu)

• Polish: rozbierać gramatycznie
• Russian: разбирать (ru) (razbiratʹ)

to translate — see translate

Related terms

• construct
• construction
• constructive

Anagrams

• cornutes
• counters
• recounts
• trounces

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Latin

Verb

cōnstrue

1. second-person singular present active imperative of cōnstruō