structure

American  

[struhk-cher] / ˈstrʌk tʃər /

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.

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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 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

Related Words

See building.

Other Word Forms

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

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; -ure

Example Sentences

When ions begin to form, that structure breaks down, increasing disorder and pushing the reaction forward.

From Science Daily

That shift in diet set off a series of genetic and behavioral changes that eventually gave rise to termites and their tightly structured colonies.

From Science Daily

Though some programs offer grants or forgivable loans, many are structured as a second loan for the buyer.

From MarketWatch

“I understand finance, and I understand structured finance and project finance. That’s where a lot of the DNA is for myself and for some of the founders.”

From Barron's

The role of first lady is "more structured" and comes with "fewer quiet moments", she says, and she feels she must stay "mentally strong".

From BBC

Related Words

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