Dictionary

constructive en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /kənˈstɹʌktɪv/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Latin cōnstrūctīvus. By surface analysis, construct + -ive.

Meanings

1. Relating to or causing construction.
2. Carefully considered and meant to be helpful.
3. Serving a useful purpose.
   • At the same time, it was Marx's view that under communism men's individual possibilities would display themselves only in socially constructive ways, so that conflicts among individuals would lose all raison d'être. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 162:
4. Deemed after the fact to exist or to have occurred, despite the formal process not having been followed; often when there was no intention to do so at the time.
   • constructive notice
   • constructive dismissal
   • constructive trust
5. Not direct or expressed, but inferred.
   • A President's power begins slipping away the moment it is known that he is going to leave: I had seen that in 1952, in 1960, in 1968. On the eve of my resignation I knew that my role was already a symbolic one, and that Gerald Ford's was now the constructive one. My telephone calls and meetings and decisions were now parts of a prescribed ritual aimed at making peace with the past; his calls, his meetings, and his decisions were already the ones that would shape America's future. 1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1973–1974”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 1077:

Forms

Antonyms

destructive

Deriveds

constructive fraud · superconstructive · constructive memory · misconstructive · constructive malice · constructive notice · constructivization · visuoconstructive · constructivism · coconstructive · constructivize · constructive logic · constructive eviction · constructive dismissal · constructivist · nonconstructive · unconstructive · constructiveness · constructively · inconstructive · constructive trust · constructive criticism · deconstructive · constructive force · preconstructive · constructive treason · constructive interference

Synonyms

productive · helpful · useful

Translations (45)

nb konstruktiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · hy կառուցողական (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · cy adeiladol (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ast constructivu (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ro construcțional (relating to or causing construction) · de konstruktiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · pt construtivo (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · gl construtivo (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · fr constructif (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ja 推定上の (imputed by law) · sv konstruktiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · fi rakentava (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ast constructivu (relating to or causing construction) · fr implicite (imputed by law) · ca constructiu (relating to or causing construction) · pt construtivo (relating to or causing construction) · bg конструкти́вен (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · tl mapamuo (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · es constructivo (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ro de construcție (relating to or causing construction) · bg конструкти́вен (relating to or causing construction) · nb konstruktiv (relating to or causing construction) · hy կառուցողական (relating to or causing construction) · da konstruktiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · nn konstruktiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ru строи́тельный (relating to or causing construction) · bg строи́телен (relating to or causing construction) · nl constructief (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · cmn 建設性的 /建设性的 (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · pl konstruktywny (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · it costruttivo (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ru конструкти́вный (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · grc συνθετικός (relating to or causing construction) · hu konstruktív (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · uk конструкти́вний (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · tl mapamuo (relating to or causing construction) · es constructivo (relating to or causing construction) · gl construtivo (relating to or causing construction) · ja 建設的な (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ro constructiv (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ja 見做しの (imputed by law) · ca constructiu (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · be канструкты́ўны (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) · ja 建設的な (relating to or causing construction) · nn konstruktiv (relating to or causing construction)