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.
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
Zoey Tur, a veteran news helicopter pilot, said spatial disorientation is particularly problematic over water at night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
It also constrains certain theories involving extra spatial dimensions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Given the spatial finesse of the lobby below, it is sad to find the utilitarian treatment of a box store or trade show above the museum’s most important objects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
When listening to music, sound vibrations enter the auditory cortex and are instantaneously broken down into elements of pitch, timbre, spatial relations, and tone duration.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
