structural

[struhk-cher-uhl]

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.

noun

1. Building Trades.

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

   2. the structural member used for such a part.

structural

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of structural¹

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

Example Sentences

Its managers “look for long-term structural shifts, societal changes, cultural winds of change as our backdrop to surface ideas,” according to U.S. equity fund manager Dave Bujnowski.

Read more on Barron's

That decline reflects the structural changes rapidly unfolding across the networking sector.

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Chief Executive John May said the company is benefiting from the structural improvements it has made to its business, despite this year’s challenges and uncertainties.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It also said the efforts "should be complemented by pro-growth structural reforms, including measures to foster more innovation and digitalisation, cut red tape, reduce labour supply constraints... and deepen European economic integration".

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Estimated brain age from structural scans may also shed light on risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, including muscle loss.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• anatomical 
• architectural 
• basic 
• constitutional 
• skeletal