social structure

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of social structure

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

According to the study, their disappearance likely resulted from a combination of climate instability, population pressures, and social structure.

From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 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

So anyone with depth of thought is almost automatically excluded from the main high school social structure.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• food chain
• hierarchy
• power structure