structure

[struhk-cher]

noun

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)

structured, structuring 

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

/ 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

verb

1. (tr) to impart a structure to

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of structure¹

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; -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of structure¹

C15: from Latin structūra, from struere to build

Synonym Study

See building.

Example Sentences

Their small structure and ability to fly at low altitude mean they can fly much closer to a target than an aircraft could.

Read more on BBC

The Palisades fire killed 12 people, charred 23,400 acres and leveled more than 6,800 structures, including many homes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

One concern among shareholders has been Comerica’s higher cost structure, which Fifth Third said it would seek to address.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Panigrahi believes Oracle can turn to a combination of debt, vendor financing, leasing and other “creative partnership structures” to address this issue.

Read more on MarketWatch

The new research identifies peroxisomes, small structures within cells that process fats, as an alternative heat source in brown fat.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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