they are construed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "they are construed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing how something is interpreted or understood, often in a legal or formal context. Example: "In legal terms, the rights of the parties involved are construed according to the contract."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

They are, where they are construed as realities rather than as heuristically useful conceptual fictions, thought to be part of the actual furniture of the universe.

Britannica

The Attitude domain of Appraisal is, according to Martin and White (2005, 42), a means of "mapping feelings as they are construed in English texts".

Functional Linguistics

Hence, there will be ample room (and need) for correspondence accounts of truth for other types of truthbearers, including propositions, if they are construed as constituted, partly or wholly, of concepts of objects and properties.

SEP

In essence, Kant argues that the transcendent ideas and principles of reason do have a positive role to play in knowledge acquisition, so long as they are construed "regulatively" and not "constitutively".

SEP

We therefore now look more closely at the eight sentences where infants and toddlers are specifically named, in order to analyse how they are construed within the grammar in terms of the activities in which they are said to engage and their role relative to educators and other children.

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

They are construed as taking part in processes in different ways according to the nature of the process: they may act out the process, they may sense through it, they may say it, they may have some properties related to it, and so on.

Functional Linguistics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

For example, they will deny that they are construing Brahman as a substance without properties.

SEP

In a sentence, should they be construed as singular or plural?

The New York Times

Of course, if they were construed in that sense there would be no doubt of their validity.

Cornell University

934, which authorized certain recommendations and provided that they be construed as discretionary, was omitted from the Code as being of special and not general application.

Cornell University

The compliments for the Yankees' new hitting coach, Gary Denbo, are routinely qualified, lest they be construed as criticism of the man he replaced, Chris Chambliss.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "they are construed" when you want to emphasize the act of interpretation or the specific way something is understood within a particular context, especially in legal, philosophical, or academic writing.

Common error

Avoid using "they are construed" in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler alternatives like "they are seen as" or "they are understood as" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "they are construed" functions as a passive construction indicating how something is interpreted or understood. As supported by Ludwig AI, this construction appears in varied contexts, assigning a specific meaning to subjects based on context.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

Academia

26%

News & Media

26%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "they are construed" is a versatile construction used to denote how something is interpreted or understood within a specific context. According to Ludwig AI, its grammatical status is correct, and its frequency of use is common, especially in academic, scientific, and legal writing. While the phrase is appropriate for formal settings, alternatives like "they are interpreted" or "they are understood" might be preferable in more casual contexts. The phrase's usage is well-supported by authoritative sources like The New York Times and Cornell University, making it a reliable choice for conveying precise meaning in formal discourse.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

they are interpreted

Focuses on the act of explaining the meaning of something.

they are understood

Emphasizes the comprehension or grasping of something's meaning.

they are regarded

Highlights the way something is viewed or considered.

they are perceived

Focuses on how something is sensed or becomes known.

they are seen

Simple and direct way of expressing how something is viewed.

they are considered

Indicates a more thoughtful assessment or evaluation.

they are deemed

Suggests a more formal or official judgment.

they are taken to be

Implies an assumption or a generally accepted belief.

they are characterized

Highlights the defining attributes or qualities attributed to something.

they are represented

Focuses on how something is portrayed or symbolized.

FAQs

How can I use "they are construed" in a sentence?

You can use "they are construed" to describe how certain actions, words, or ideas are interpreted. For example, "His actions might "be construed" as an admission of guilt" or "The rules "are construed" narrowly in this particular case".

What does "they are construed" mean?

"They are construed" means that something is interpreted or understood in a particular way. It implies that there is a specific meaning assigned to something, often within a defined context.

Which is more formal: "they are construed" or "they are considered"?

"They are construed" is generally more formal than "they are considered". "They are construed" suggests a careful, often legalistic or academic, interpretation, while "they are considered" is a more general way of saying something is viewed.

What are some alternatives to "they are construed"?

Alternatives to "they are construed" include "they are interpreted", "they are understood", "they are regarded", and "they are seen", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.