reconstruction
gb/ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/ us/ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
B2
English
~ 7900
újjáépítés, helyreállítás, rekonstrukció, helyreállító műtét, rekonstrukciós műtét, rekonstrukciós korszak, újraalkotás, nyelvészeti rekonstrukció
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
the reconstruction of [something] (after [event])
The government announced a ten-year plan for the reconstruction of the region after the floods.
A kormány tízéves tervet jelentett be a régió újjáépítésére az árvizek után.
Tourism has played a key role in the reconstruction of the city’s economy.
A turizmus kulcsszerepet játszott a város gazdaságának újjáépítésében.
Roads and bridges are still in reconstruction two years after the earthquake.
International aid helped pay for the reconstruction of schools and hospitals.
The museum closed for a major reconstruction of its main hall.
Learner examples
After the war, the country began a long reconstruction.
A háború után megkezdődött az ország hosszú újjáépítése.
The reconstruction of the bridge will take two years.
A híd újjáépítése két évig fog tartani.
They raised money for the reconstruction of the old church.
Reconstruction of the town started after the fire.
Many people worked on the reconstruction of the houses.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'construction' and 'reconstruction'. 'Construction' is the first building of something, while 'reconstruction' is building it again after damage. Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition: say 'the reconstruction of the bridge', not 'the reconstruction for the bridge'. Remember that 'reconstruction' is a noun; the verb is 'reconstruct', not '*reconstruction*'.
Meaning
rebuilding after damage or destruction
Collocations
post-war reconstruction
|urban reconstruction
|reconstruction of the city
|reconstruction of the economy
|massive reconstruction project
|reconstruction efforts
Synonyms
rebuilding (More informal and everyday; focuses only on the physical act of building again, without the broader social or economic sense that 'reconstruction' can have.)
Antonyms
destruction (Refers to breaking or ruining something, which is the opposite of rebuilding it.)
Themes
society
|politics
|business
|infrastructure
|daily_life
|housing
|work
Definition
The process of building or fixing something again after it was damaged or destroyed.
The process of building, repairing, or organizing something again after it has been damaged, destroyed, or seriously weakened.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
2
Usage pattern:
[type of] reconstruction of [body part]
She decided to have breast reconstruction after her mastectomy.
Úgy döntött, hogy a masztektómiája után emlőrekonstrukciót végeztet.
The clinic specializes in hand and wrist reconstruction following severe accidents.
A klinika súlyos balesetek utáni kéz- és csuklórekonstrukcióra szakosodott.
Advances in facial reconstruction have greatly improved outcomes for burn victims.
He will need ligament reconstruction if he wants to play sports again.
The doctor explained the risks and benefits of jaw reconstruction surgery.
Learner examples
She had breast reconstruction after cancer treatment.
A rákkezelés után emlőrekonstrukción esett át.
The man needed knee reconstruction after the car accident.
Az autóbaleset után a férfinak térdrekonstrukcióra volt szüksége.
New methods make facial reconstruction safer and faster.
The hospital offers free reconstruction for some patients.
The doctor said reconstruction could help him use his arm again.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'reconstruction' with 'plastic surgery' or think it is always cosmetic. In medicine, 'reconstruction' focuses on restoring normal shape and function, often after injury or cancer, while purely cosmetic operations are usually called 'cosmetic' or 'aesthetic' surgery.
Meaning
surgery to rebuild a body part
Collocations
breast reconstruction
|facial reconstruction
|knee reconstruction
|jaw reconstruction
|reconstruction surgery
|plastic and reconstruction
Synonyms
restorative surgery (More formal and less common; emphasizes restoring normal form and function rather than simply changing appearance.)
Antonyms
amputation (Refers to surgically removing a limb or body part, which is the opposite of rebuilding or restoring it.)
Themes
health
|medicine
|body
Definition
A medical operation where doctors rebuild or change the shape of part of the body after injury, illness, or removal.
A medical operation in which surgeons rebuild or reshape a part of the body that has been damaged, deformed, or removed.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
(the) Reconstruction (Era / period)
Many textbooks now present Reconstruction as a missed opportunity to build a more equal society.
Sok tankönyv ma már a rekonstrukciós korszakot egy egyenlőbb társadalom megteremtésének elszalasztott lehetőségeként mutatja be.
During Reconstruction, federal troops occupied parts of the South to enforce new laws.
A rekonstrukció idején szövetségi csapatok szállták meg a Dél egyes részeit, hogy kikényszerítsék az új törvények betartását.
The film explores how Reconstruction shaped race relations in the United States.
Reconstruction ended in 1877, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws.
Scholars continue to debate whether Reconstruction should be seen as a failure or a partial success.
Learner examples
Reconstruction began after the American Civil War.
A rekonstrukciós korszak az amerikai polgárháború után kezdődött.
During Reconstruction, many new laws were made in the South.
A rekonstrukció idején sok új törvényt hoztak Délen.
Reconstruction is an important topic in U.S. history classes.
Some people say Reconstruction did not go far enough.
Reconstruction ended when federal troops left the South.
Common mistake:
Learners may write 'reconstruction' with a small 'r' when referring to the historical period; in this context, it is usually capitalized as 'Reconstruction'. They may also confuse the general idea of rebuilding after war with this specific U.S. historical period.
Meaning
U.S. post–Civil War period
Collocations
during Reconstruction
|the Reconstruction Era
|Reconstruction policies
|Radical Reconstruction
|the end of Reconstruction
|Reconstruction governments
Synonyms
post–Civil War era (A descriptive historical phrase; similar time period but less specific than the formal term 'Reconstruction'.)
Antonyms
antebellum period (Refers to the time before the American Civil War, contrasting with the postwar Reconstruction period.)
Themes
history
|politics
|society
|law
Definition
In U.S. history, the time after the Civil War when the government tried to rebuild the Southern states and give rights to former slaves. It is usually written with a capital R: Reconstruction.
In United States history, the period after the Civil War, roughly 1865–1877, when the federal government controlled and reorganized the former Confederate states and attempted to rebuild Southern society and extend civil rights to freed slaves.
NOUN
C1
4
újraalkotás
B2
Usage pattern:
a reconstruction of [event / scene / object / building]
Detectives used video footage to create a detailed reconstruction of the robbery.
A nyomozók videófelvételek segítségével részletes rekonstrukciót készítettek a rablásról.
The documentary includes a computer reconstruction of the plane crash.
A dokumentumfilmben szerepel a repülőgép-baleset számítógépes rekonstrukciója.
Archaeologists made a reconstruction of the temple to show visitors what it once looked like.
The historian’s book is a careful reconstruction of life in the medieval town.
A forensic reconstruction of the victim’s face helped identify the remains.
Learner examples
Police did a reconstruction of the crime scene.
A rendőrség elvégezte a bűnügyi helyszín rekonstrukcióját.
The TV show showed a reconstruction of the accident.
A tévéműsor bemutatta a baleset rekonstrukcióját.
We saw a reconstruction of an old Roman house in the museum.
Scientists used computers for a 3D reconstruction of the building.
The book is a reconstruction of what happened that night.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'reconstruction' when they simply mean 'story' or 'version'. 'Reconstruction' suggests that the version is built carefully from evidence, not just imagined or told freely.
Meaning
re-creating the past from evidence
Collocations
crime scene reconstruction
|3D reconstruction of the crash
|historical reconstruction
|computer reconstruction
|reconstruction of the accident
|forensic reconstruction
Synonyms
re-creation (Focuses on making something again, often visually or for entertainment; 'reconstruction' suggests a more careful, evidence-based process.)
Antonyms
distortion (Creating a false or misleading version of events, which contrasts with the aim of accurate reconstruction.)
Themes
science
|crime
|history
|education
Definition
The process of making a picture, model, or story of how something looked or happened in the past, using the facts and clues you have.
The act or process of creating a model, description, or image of a past event or original form based on the evidence available.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
the reconstruction of [proto-language / earlier form / word]
The reconstruction of the Proto-Indo-European root is marked with an asterisk.
A protoindoeurópai gyök rekonstruált alakját csillaggal jelölik.
Her dissertation focuses on the reconstruction of the language’s vowel system.
Disszertációja a nyelv magánhangzórendszerének rekonstrukciójára összpontosít.
Linguistic reconstruction suggests that the word originally meant 'house'.
Different scholars have proposed competing reconstructions of this verb stem.
Careful reconstruction can reveal links between languages that seem unrelated today.
Learner examples
In historical linguistics, reconstruction is very important.
A történeti nyelvészetben a rekonstrukció nagyon fontos.
The book gives a reconstruction of many old word forms.
A könyv számos régi szóalak rekonstrukcióját közli.
A star (*) is used to show a reconstruction in the text.
They compared many languages to make the reconstruction.
The teacher showed us one possible reconstruction of the word.
Common mistake:
Learners may think a 'reconstruction' in linguistics is a proven fact. In fact, it is an educated, systematic guess based on evidence, and different researchers may propose different reconstructions.
Meaning
hypothetical earlier language form
Collocations
linguistic reconstruction
|phonological reconstruction
|Proto-Indo-European reconstruction
|reconstruction of the proto-form
|sound-system reconstruction
|reconstruction of a root
Synonyms
hypothesis (A general scientific guess; in linguistics, a reconstruction is a specific, structured hypothesis about a past language form.)
Antonyms
attested form (A word or form that is directly recorded in texts, the opposite of a reconstructed, hypothetical form.)
Themes
language
|science
|academia
|education
|communication
Definition
In linguistics, the careful guessing of how an older form of a language or word looked and sounded, using facts from related languages.
In linguistics, the systematic process of working out what an earlier, unattested form of a language or word probably looked like, based on evidence from related languages and sound-change rules.
Grammar
Dictionary form
reconstruction
IPA
GB/ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
US/ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
Syllables & stress
re - con - struc - tion (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (struc)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: reconstruction
- Plural: reconstruction, reconstructions
Word family
Forms
reconstructions
noun
Core family
Related words
constructive
adjective B2
constructively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
reconstructive
adjective
deconstruct
verb
deconstruction
noun
Expressions
breast reconstruction
1/bɹˈɛst ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
surgery to rebuild a breast
An operation where doctors rebuild the shape of a woman’s breast, often after part or all of it has been removed because of cancer.
Examples
- Her doctor discussed different options for breast reconstruction.
- Many women choose breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
- Insurance may cover breast reconstruction in some countries.
economic reconstruction
1/ˌɛkənˈɑmɪk ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
rebuilding an economy
Steps taken to rebuild and improve a country’s economy after a war, crisis, or big problem.
Examples
- The new government promised rapid economic reconstruction after the crisis.
- Economic reconstruction will require both foreign investment and local reforms.
- Aid agencies met to discuss economic reconstruction in the region.
facial reconstruction
1/fˈeɪʃəl ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
technical
surgery to rebuild the face
An operation where doctors repair and rebuild the face after serious injury, burns, or disease.
Examples
- He underwent facial reconstruction after the car accident.
- Modern facial reconstruction can greatly improve both function and appearance.
- The charity funds facial reconstruction for children born with severe deformities.
post-war reconstruction
1/pˈoʊst wˈɔɹ ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
rebuilding after a war
The work of rebuilding a country or area after a war, including buildings, roads, and the economy.
Examples
- The plan for post-war reconstruction focused on housing and transport.
- International loans played a major role in Europe’s post-war reconstruction.
- Post-war reconstruction can take decades in countries hit by long conflicts.
Reconstruction Era
1/ɹˌikənstɹˈʌkʃən ˈɛɹə/
fixed phrase
formal
U.S. Reconstruction Era period
The period in U.S. history, just after the Civil War, when the government tried to rebuild the South and give rights to former slaves.
Examples
- Many laws passed during the Reconstruction Era were later overturned.
- The museum’s new exhibit focuses on the Reconstruction Era in the American South.
- Some historians argue that the Reconstruction Era reshaped the U.S. Constitution.