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

The airline will cut costs through measures based on the price of oil, Woo wrote, adding that the moves are "not merely a one-time" initiative but a chance to "strengthen our structural foundation".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

This triggers a structural imbalance called a Janus reaction, which creates internal strain within the layers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

The connection between that earlier theory and the present case is structural rather than doctrinal.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

Recovering from any structural damage will be costly, and if strikes continue, companies could rethink their long-term investment in the region, James and Maayeh note.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

The predictable response is that civil rights advocates are as committed to challenging mass incarceration and other forms of structural racism as they are to preserving affirmative action.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• anatomical
• architectural
• basic
• constitutional
• skeletal