structural

American  

[struhk-cher-uhl] / ˈstrʌk tʃər əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to structure; relating or essential to a structure.

2. resulting from or relating to political or economic structure: structural inequalities;

   structural reforms to the social safety net;

   structural inequalities;

   structural racism.

3. Biology. relating to organic structure; morphological.

4. Geology. of or relating to geological structure, as of rock or strata.

5. Chemistry. relating to or showing the arrangement or mode of attachment of the atoms that constitute a molecule of a substance.

6. 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.

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noun

1. Building Trades.

   1. a part of a structure that carries a load.

   2. the structural member used for such a part.

structural British  

/ ˈstrʌktʃərəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having structure or a structure

2. of, relating to, or forming part of the structure of a building

3. of or relating to the structure and deformation of rocks and other features of the earth's crust

4. of or relating to the structure of organisms; morphological

5. chem of, concerned with, caused by, or involving the arrangement of atoms in molecules

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Other Word Forms

• nonstructural adjective
• nonstructurally adverb
• structurally adverb
• unstructural adjective
• unstructurally adverb

Etymology

Origin of structural

First recorded in 1825–35; structure + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Fiscal stimulus should focus on structural growth areas in youth and elderly care.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Our research shows that beauty in mathematics is not only an aesthetic notion, but something with structural depth and efficiency," says Professor Heinrich Begehr.

From Science Daily

The fountain “contains deteriorated concrete, corroded structural steel and hazardous materials and its mechanical and electrical systems are beyond repair,” Goodwin said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Any downside risks to net-interest income are likely to be offset by tailwinds such as structural hedging and lower funding costs, the analyst adds.

From The Wall Street Journal

It encourages surrounding bone tissue to regenerate, creating a treatment strategy that addresses both tumor removal and structural repair in one step.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• anatomical
• architectural
• basic
• constitutional
• skeletal