deconstruct
/ˌdiː.kənˈstrʌkt/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To take something apart to study how it is made or how its parts work. It can be a physical object, an idea, or a text.
- The engineer deconstructed the machine.
- We deconstruct the poem in class.
- The article deconstructs the company’s claims.
Adinary Nuance
Deconstruct is not the same as simply destroy or break. It means to examine something by taking it apart into parts, often to understand its hidden meaning or structure. In academic writing, it sounds more analytical than common verbs like analyze or explain.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- phân tích
- Spanish
- deconstruir
- Chinese
- 解构
- Japanese
- 分解する
- Korean
- 해체하다
Etymology
Deconstruct appeared in English in the mid-20th century. It combines de- and construct, and it became especially common in criticism and philosophy.
Common phrases
deconstruct a textdeconstruct a theorydeconstruct a myth
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is deconstruct a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in academic writing and discussion, especially about texts, ideas, and media.
- What is the difference between deconstruct and destroy?
- Deconstruct means to break something into parts to study it. Destroy means to ruin it completely.
- Can I use deconstruct in everyday English?
- Yes, but it sounds a little formal. People use it more in study, analysis, or criticism.