Legal Dictionary

construction

Legal Definition of construction

Noun

The legal process of interpreting a phrase or document; of trying to find it's meaning. Whether it be a contract or a statute, there are times when a phrase may be unclear or of several meanings. Then, either lawyers or judges must attempt to interpret or "construct" the probable aim and purpose of the phrase, by extrapolating from other parts of the document or, in the case of statutes, referring to a interpretation law which gives legal construction guidelines. Generally, there are two types of construction methods: literal (strict) or liberal.

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Pronunciation

Noun

construction (plural constructions)

The process of constructing

Construction is underway on the new bridge.
Anything that has been constructed

The engineer marvelled at his construction.
The trade of building structures

He had worked in construction all his life.
A building, model or some other structure

The office was a construction of steel and glass
An artistic composition such as a collage etc.

"Construction in string and clockwork" took first prize
The manner in which something is built

A thing of simple construction
(grammar) A group of words arranged to form a meaningful phrase

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