structure

American  

[struhk-cher] / ˈstrʌk tʃər /

noun

• structures
  plural

1. mode of building, construction, or organization; arrangement of parts, elements, or constituents.

   a pyramidal structure.

   Synonyms:

   configuration, form, system

2. something built or constructed, as a building, bridge, or dam.

3. a complex system considered from the point of view of the whole rather than of any single part.

   the structure of modern science.

4. anything composed of parts arranged together in some way; an organization.

5. the relationship or organization of the component parts of a work of art or literature.

   the structure of a poem.

6. Biology. mode of organization; construction and arrangement of tissues, parts, or organs.

7. Geology.

   1. the attitude of a bed or stratum or of beds or strata of sedimentary rocks, as indicated by the dip and strike.

   2. the coarser composition of a rock, as contrasted with its texture.

8. Chemistry. the manner in which atoms in a molecule are joined to each other, especially in organic chemistry where molecular arrangement is represented by a diagram or model.

9. Sociology. social structure.

10. the pattern of organization of a language as a whole or of arrangements of linguistic units, as phonemes, morphemes or tagmemes, within larger units.

---

verb (used with object)

• structures,
  present (3rd person singular)
• structured,
  past participle,  past
• structuring
  present participle

1. to give a structure, organization, or arrangement to; construct or build a systematic framework for.

   to structure a curriculum so well that a novice teacher can use it.

structure British  

/ ˈstrʌktʃə /

noun

1. a complex construction or entity

2. the arrangement and interrelationship of parts in a construction, such as a building

3. the manner of construction or organization

   the structure of society

4. biology morphology; form

5. chem the arrangement of atoms in a molecule of a chemical compound

   the structure of benzene

6. geology the way in which a mineral, rock, rock mass or stratum, etc, is made up of its component parts

7. rare the act of constructing

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verb

1. (tr) to impart a structure to

Synonym Usage

See building.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interstructure
  noun
• nonstructure
  noun
• destructure
  verb (used with object)
• prestructure
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• structures
  plural

Participles

• structuring
  present
• structured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• structure
  simple
• structures
  simple
• have structured
  perfect
• has structured
  perfect
• am structuring
  progressive
• are structuring
  progressive
• is structuring
  progressive
• have been structuring
  perfect progressive
• has been structuring
  perfect progressive

Past

• structured
  simple
• had structured
  perfect
• was structuring
  progressive
• were structuring
  progressive
• had been structuring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will structure
  simple
• will have structured
  perfect
• will be structuring
  progressive
• will have been structuring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of structure

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin structūra, equivalent to struct(us) (past participle of struere “to put together”) + -ūra noun suffix; see -ure

Explanation

A structure is something of many parts that is put together. A structure can be a skyscraper, an outhouse, your body, or a sentence. Structure is from the Latin word structura which means "a fitting together, building." Although it's certainly used to describe buildings, it can do more than that. A family's structure includes the relationship of its members, your body structure can refer to how your muscles and bones fit together. Sentence structure is how a sentence is put together, including subjects, verbs, and all that stuff English teachers love to yap about. Structure is usually a noun, but it can also be a verb meaning to impose order, like if you "structure an argument to convince your parents to let you stay out later."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

structure structures structured structuring

Discovery is expected to close Tuesday, disbanding Warner’s corporate structure and retiring Warner investors at $31.17 a share.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

The dispute was over the new pay and grading structure designed to deal with the underlying issues which led to thousands of equal pay claims from female workers past and present.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Matching the structure of the inheritance to heirs’ individual circumstances can be more valuable than equal treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

“Markets always have choppy days, and you have to take a long-term view. We had great execution in a volatile market and now the company has its long-term capital structure in place.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

She describes how hundreds of people lived together in that single structure.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

Banuelos said he did not think he needed a professional photography permit as the videographer was a family member and they did not use amplified sound or temporary structures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

The spokesperson did not comment on whether this specific proposal violated city rules but noted that documented proposals require a professional photography permit and said that proposals that include set-ups and structures are not allowed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Because so many impact structures appear to date from around the same time, some researchers have proposed that Earth may once have been surrounded by a Saturn-like ring of asteroid debris during the Middle Ordovician.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Justin Scully, manager of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, said extreme heat, heavy rainfall and wildfire risk were already affecting gardens, moorland and historic structures.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

The structures at Göbekli Tepe are dated to about 9500 BC, and all available evidence indicates that they were built by hunter-gatherers.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Participants decided whether to join a structured exercise and diet-induced weight-loss program or remain in a non-exercise group.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

“As the market matures, investors are becoming more precise about how that exposure is structured and which risks they actually want to take.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Beutner had structured Proposition 28 precisely to prevent this supplanting of funds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

Valuations, sales and income differ dramatically, depending on how the small- or medium-sized business is structured.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

She learns teamwork and how to cope in highly structured settings.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

I’d love to hear any practical suggestions for structuring this so that it is easy for the restaurant, seamless for the staff and customers, and doesn’t create unnecessary headaches for anyone.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

A renter generation is emerging in America, composed of younger people who are renting longer and structuring their financial lives without the traditional pillar of home ownership.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Prosecutors charged Thola-Duran with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, to receive and transport stolen property interstate, and to commit money laundering, and structuring transactions to avoid federal financial reporting requirements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Analysts argue a tie-up could offer both groups a means of overcoming tough sales trends, though structuring it could be tricky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

But all of this intricate structuring was hidden.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• architecture
• arrangement
• complex
• construction
• design
• format
• formation
• framework
• network
• organization
• system