adjective
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of or relating to space
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existing or happening in space
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of spatial
First recorded in 1840–50; from Latin spati(um) space + -al 1
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How does spatial compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Spatial describes how objects fit together in space, either among the planets or down here on earth. There's a spatial relationship between Mars and Venus, as well as between the rose bushes in the backyard. Spatial has to do with the distance between things, so mathematicians and computer scientists love using the word. "They measured the spatial relations of ping-pong balls in the gravity-free room." It can also refer to how people perceive the objects in front of them. If you're not wearing your glasses, your spatial perception might be off. If you're a space cadet, you might wander off into space. Not surprisingly, spatial is from the Latin word spatium for "space."
Vocabulary lists containing spatial
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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G.1: Principles of Geography (Sources 1–14)
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Undergraduates and graduates from the Spatial Experience Design program were tasked with designing off-the-grid, sustainable dwellings that could resist both fire and earthquake damage.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025
Spatial computing “is a technology that’s starting to adapt to the user instead of requiring the user adapting to the technology,” Hackl said.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2024
The result: Spatial reorganization alone would increase food production by an average of 83 percent, water availability by eight percent, and CO2 storage capacity by three percent.
From Science Daily • Oct. 20, 2023
"Spatial" planning will take account of the layers of pressure on sea lochs, and the "cumulative impact" of the industry over time will be taken into account.
From BBC • Jul. 21, 2023
SABIO, RIDGE: Spatial teleportation isn’t as dangerous as people say.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
