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

She's previously written for a half dozen outlets, produced Nikkei Asia's geopolitical news podcast, and received a grant from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting to report on post-conflict reconstruction in Turkey. —Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025

Freedmen’s Bureau Courts didn’t survive Reconstruction. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Apr. 2025

The team hopes to continue using the digital reconstructions for current and future research on Scotland’s Jurassic history. —Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025

In addition to the mural reconstruction, Digital Delacroix also promises to digitize some 2,500 of Delacroix’s letters and make murals painted at the Palais Bourbon and the Palais du Luxembourg—home to the French National Assembly and Senate, respectively—more accessible to the public. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing reconstruction

• ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction

Rhymes for reconstruction

• coproduction
• deconstruction
• introduction
• liposuction
• misconstruction
• postproduction
• preconstruction
• preproduction
• reproduction
• abduction
• adduction
• conduction

Kids 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

Legal Definition

reconstruction

noun

re·​con·​struc·​tion

1

: a rebuilding of a nonfunctional patented article that amounts to creation of a new article and constitutes infringement of the patent

the complete replacement of the mechanism was a reconstruction and not a repair

2

: the practice or process of recreating an incident (as an accident) for the purpose of investigating the specific facts and circumstances surrounding it

heard testimony on the speed of the vehicle from an expert in accident reconstruction