spatial

American  

[spey-shuhl] / ˈspeɪ ʃəl /

Rarely spacial

adjective

1. of or relating to space, the three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur.

2. existing or occurring in space; having extension in space.

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spatial British  

/ ˈspeɪʃəl, ˌspeɪʃɪˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to space

2. existing or happening in space

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Other Word Forms

• nonspatial adjective
• nonspatiality noun
• quasi-spatial adjective
• spatiality noun
• spatially adverb
• unspatial adjective
• unspatiality noun

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:

• spatial vs. temporal summation

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."

Example Sentences

He must simultaneously protect the cash machine that is the iPhone while finding the next platform — whether that’s spatial computing, health, automotive, or something that doesn’t yet have a name.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

When the pulse interacts with a fast-changing event, the scattered light carries detailed spatial, spectral and phase information.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

Africa and Europe, and she has her own design studio, Felemaye, which she describes as “rooted in memory, material culture, and spatial intelligence.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

But the movie itself isn’t exactly exploring new frontiers of fear, devolving instead into a familiar slasher-thriller with a climax of strained characterization and confusing spatial logic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Moreover, a spatial teleportation scientist from the twenty-second century is not immune or protected against infections of the past.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly