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 findings reveal a dynamic picture: Spatial organization of the genome within the nucleus is transformed during retinal development, facilitating expression of specific genes at key time periods.
From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2023
Wa Na Wari, a center for Black art and culture housed in the Central District, launched the Seattle Black Spatial Histories Institute in June 2021.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023
Esther Margulies, professor with the USC School of Architecture and Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute, has been working with a team to address tree canopy inequity in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2023
"Spatial" planning will take account of the layers of pressure on sea lochs, and the "cumulative impact" of the industry over time will be taken into account.
From BBC • Jul. 21, 2023
Currently, the only existing STM is a prototype—known as STM1—located at latitude 39.605829 and longitude -75.718580, in the Spatial Teleportation Laboratory at the University of Delaware.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
