reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən 
plural reconstructions
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the act or process of rebuilding, repairing, or restoring something
reconstruction efforts to repair hurricane damage
the reconstruction of the dam
the reconstruction of postwar Europe
b
Reconstruction in U.S. history
: the period from 1865 to 1877 in which the southern states that had seceded during the American Civil War rejoined the United States
c
medical
: repair of an organ or body part by reconstructive surgery
knee/ligament reconstruction
2
a
: the re-creation or reimagining of something from the past especially by using information acquired through research
the historical reconstruction of an ancient village
the newspaper's reconstruction of the events
b
: a technical process by which scientific principles and techniques are applied to physical evidence in order to create an accurate reenactment or understanding of a past occurrence or event (such as an accident)
technology used in crime scene reconstruction
Examples of reconstruction in a Sentence
the reconstruction of the dam
the reconstruction of postwar Europe
reconstruction of the health-care system
They were able to determine the cause of the accident by careful reconstruction of the events leading up to it.
The police staged a reconstruction of the crime.
Recent Examples on the Web
The mystery of their survival nagged at Alex Maranghides, a fire-protection engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), who worked with several colleagues on a meticulous reconstruction of the fire.
—
Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Within this context, housing the Gazans will require a radical new approach to post-war reconstruction.
—Shelly Culbertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Asked whether he had been approached about reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Alabbar said no, and that Emaar would not be interested, implying that Israel should be responsible for rebuilding the territory, to applause from the audience.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Compton added that her team is also testing how AI can be used in documentary reconstruction scenes, though these have yet to screen on Channel 4.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruction
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Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Within this context, housing the Gazans will require a radical new approach to post-war reconstruction.
—Shelly Culbertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Asked whether he had been approached about reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Alabbar said no, and that Emaar would not be interested, implying that Israel should be responsible for rebuilding the territory, to applause from the audience.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Compton added that her team is also testing how AI can be used in documentary reconstruction scenes, though these have yet to screen on Channel 4.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reconstruction
Cite this Entry
“Reconstruction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconstruction. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən
1
a
: the action of reconstructing : the state of being reconstructed
b
often capitalized
: the reorganization and reestablishment of the Confederate states in the Union after the American Civil War
2
: something reconstructed
Medical Definition
reconstruction
noun
re·con·struc·tion
ˌrē-kən-ˈstrək-shən
: repair of an organ or part by reconstructive surgery
breast reconstruction
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