structure

[ struhk-cher ]
See synonyms for: structurestructuredstructuresstructuring on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. mode of building, construction, or organization; arrangement of parts, elements, or constituents: a pyramidal structure.

  2. something built or constructed, as a building, bridge, or dam.

  1. a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part: the structure of modern science.

  2. anything composed of parts arranged together in some way; an organization.

  3. the relationship or organization of the component parts of a work of art or literature: the structure of a poem.

  4. Biology. mode of organization; construction and arrangement of tissues, parts, or organs.

  5. Geology.

    • the attitude of a bed or stratum or of beds or strata of sedimentary rocks, as indicated by the dip and strike.

    • the coarser composition of a rock, as contrasted with its texture.

  6. Chemistry. the manner in which atoms in a molecule are joined to each other, especially in organic chemistry where molecular arrangement is represented by a diagram or model.

  7. Sociology. social structure.

  8. the pattern of organization of a language as a whole or of arrangements of linguistic units, as phonemes, morphemes or tagmemes, within larger units.

verb (used with object),struc·tured, struc·tur·ing.
  1. to give a structure, organization, or arrangement to; construct or build a systematic framework for: to structure a curriculum so well that a novice teacher can use it.

Origin of structure

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin structūra, equivalent to struct(us) (past participle of struere “to put together”) + -ūra noun suffix; see -ure

synonym study For structure

2. See building.

Other words for structure

Other words from structure

  • de·struc·ture, verb (used with object), de·struc·tured, de·struc·tur·ing.
  • in·ter·struc·ture, noun
  • non·struc·ture, noun
  • pre·struc·ture, verb (used with object), pre·struc·tured, pre·struc·tur·ing.

Words Nearby structure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use structure in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for structure

structure

/ (ˈstrʌktʃə) /


noun
  1. a complex construction or entity

  2. the arrangement and interrelationship of parts in a construction, such as a building

  1. the manner of construction or organization: the structure of society

  2. biology morphology; form

  3. chem the arrangement of atoms in a molecule of a chemical compound: the structure of benzene

  4. geology the way in which a mineral, rock, rock mass or stratum, etc, is made up of its component parts

  5. rare the act of constructing

verb
  1. (tr) to impart a structure to

Origin of structure

1
C15: from Latin structūra, from struere to build

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012