social structure

American  

[soh-shuhl struhk-cher] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈstrʌk tʃər /

noun

social structures plural

1. Sociology.

   1. the system or complex of beliefs held by members of a social group.

   2. the system of relations between the constituent groups of a society.

   3. the relationship between or the interrelated arrangement of the social institutions of a society or culture, as of mores, marriage customs, or family.

   4. the pattern of relationships, as of status or friendship, existing among the members of a group or society.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• social structures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of social structure

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Researchers thought this social structure could give females access to many different potential mates over time.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

Rational choices within families result in the Great Decompression, with deep consequences for the nation’s social structure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The law stipulates that under the "right to self-identity", settlements are entitled to protect and preserve their "social structure".

From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025

Armajani’s unusual earthwork joined in: Embracing a legal, bureaucratic form, he pointed to land as a decidedly social structure.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

That social structure is ideal for domestication, because humans in effect take over the dominance hierarchy.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• food chain
• hierarchy
• power structure