structural
Americanadjective
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of or relating to structure; relating or essential to a structure.
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resulting from or relating to political or economic structure: structural inequalities;
structural reforms to the social safety net;
structural inequalities;
structural racism.
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Biology. relating to organic structure; morphological.
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Geology. of or relating to geological structure, as of rock or strata.
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Chemistry. relating to or showing the arrangement or mode of attachment of the atoms that constitute a molecule of a substance.
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of, relating to, or based on the assumption that the elements of a field of study are naturally arranged in a systematic structure.
structural grammar.
noun
adjective
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of, relating to, or having structure or a structure
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of, relating to, or forming part of the structure of a building
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of or relating to the structure and deformation of rocks and other features of the earth's crust
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of or relating to the structure of organisms; morphological
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chem of, concerned with, caused by, or involving the arrangement of atoms in molecules
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of structural
Explanation
When you're talking about something structural you're talking about the way it's built. The simple look of a building can mask its complex structural design. A skeleton is the structural framework of a body. While we all look different on the outside, for the most part, we all share the same structural components — we're built the same way. Some buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower, reveal their structural design completely. They are nothing but structure. Other buildings work hard to hide their structural qualities. You can discuss the structural nature of ideas too, as in "structural economics" or even human relationships.
Vocabulary lists containing structural
Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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Unit 3: Cellular Systems
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Architecture 101
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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.
Experts told MarketWatch that the reasons are structural and decades in the making: The 2008 financial downturn led to tightened underwriting standards, making it more difficult for young people to qualify for mortgages.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and it was not immediately known if there had been civilian injuries or structural damage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
“A robust structural remedy it is not,” Bonta said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The researchers built clocks using several types of information, including structural measurements from medical imaging, proteins associated with specific organs, and molecules detected in the blood.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would’ve made the windows bigger, and designed a see-through floor.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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.
