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What is the difference between destructive and constructive?

destructive | constructive | Antonyms |

Constructive is an antonym of destructive.


As adjectives the difference between destructive and constructive

is that destructive is causing destruction; damaging while constructive is relating to construction.

destructive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Causing destruction; damaging.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2013 , date=February 14 , author=Scott Tobias , title=Film: Reviews: A Good Day To Die Hard , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=After rescuing his estranged daughter in the last film, Live Free Or Die Hard, Willis heads to Russia to rescue his estranged son (Jai Courtney), a CIA agent on a mission to protect a whistleblower (Sebastian Koch) from a corrupt government official (Sergei Kolesnikov) with no shortage of destructive resources at his disposal.}}
  • Causing breakdown or disassembly.
  • Catabolism is a destructive metabolism which involves the break down of molecules and release of energy.

    Synonyms

    * calamitous * catastrophic * devastating * disastrous * eradicative * harmful * pernicious * ruinous * wrackful * wreckful

    Antonyms

    * constructive * nondestructive * productive

    constructive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Relating to or causing construction.
  • Carefully considered and meant to be helpful.
  • (legal) Imputed by law; created to give legal effect to something for equitable reasons, as with constructive notice or a constructive trust.
  • Synonyms

    * (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) productive

    Antonyms

    * (relating to or causing construction) destructive * (carefully considered and meant to be helpful) destructive

    Derived terms

    * constructive criticism * constructive dismissal * constructive eviction * constructive notice * constructive logic * constructive trust * constructively * constructiveness * constructivism * deconstructive * inconstructive * unconstructive ----