adjective
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of or relating to space
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existing or happening in space
Other Word 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.
The experience is profound for reasons other than pure spatial and tactical wonder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
Participants performed better on one assessment of spatial learning and problem-solving after receiving the amino acid, but researchers did not find significant improvements across the other cognitive tests or mood measurements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
He wrote that “somebody in that Delta cockpit lost spatial awareness near an object roughly the size of a condominium building with wings.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
A lightweight digital encoder first collects compact information about each video, including spatial, spectral, and temporal features.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
I shall generally use diagrams in which time increases upward and one of the spatial dimensions is shown horizontally.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
