transitive verb construed, construing
- to analyze (a sentence, clause, etc.) so as to show its syntactic construction and its meaning
- loosely to translate (a passage) orally
- to explain or deduce the meaning of; interpret: her silence was construed as agreement
- to infer or deduce
- Gram. to combine in syntax: the verb “let,” unlike “permit,” is construed with an infinitive omitting the “to”
Origin:
ME construen < L construere: see construct