Wiktionary

constructive

English

edit

Etymology

edit

From Middle French constructif.

Morphologically construct +‎ -ive.

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

constructive (comparative more constructive, superlative most constructive)

  1. Relating to or causing construction.
    Antonym: destructive
  2. Carefully considered and meant to be helpful.
    Synonyms: productive, helpful, useful
  3. Serving a useful purpose.
  4. (law) 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 dismissal
    constructive notice
    constructive trust
  5. Not direct or expressed, but inferred.
    • 1978, Richard Nixon, “The Presidency 1973-1974”, in RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon‎[1], Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 1077:
      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.

Derived terms

edit

Translations

edit

French

edit

Pronunciation

edit

Adjective

edit

constructive

  1. feminine singular of constructif
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=constructive&oldid=82882565"
  NODES
Done 1
see 1