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
Compare meaning
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.
Yet the women who ate during a shorter window of time of eight to nine hours were found to perform better on tests measuring spatial planning and problem solving than the 12-hour group.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Users can zoom from the whole brainstem seen on MRI down to individual neurons while maintaining their precise spatial relationships.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
All this gave the mix, even when reduced to stereo, an unparalleled spatial complexity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Some of the Vision Pro’s apps are made specially to take advantage of spatial computing, and, except for those that opted out, every iPad app is available on the platform.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
No translation is required, either, to see the spatial implications of “commonplaces.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
