structured
Americanadjective
adjective
-
having a distinct physical shape or form, often provided by an internal structure
-
planned in broad outline; organized
structured play for preschoolers
-
having a definite predetermined pattern; rigid
structured hierarchy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of structured
Explanation
If you're happiest when your day is planned out, with lists of things to do, and a tightly-packed schedule, then you like living a structured life. When something is structured, it's arranged according to a specific plan. Structured is an adjective that comes from the noun structure, which is something that's been built or put together — usually, we think of a building being a structure. Anything that has been put together in an organized, deliberate way can be described as structured. Clothing designers sometimes call certain garments structured when they are carefully tailored and deliberately shaped (like a blazer), rather than loose and flowing (like a long, unfitted skirt).
Vocabulary lists containing structured
stru, struct (make, build)
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stru, struct (make, build)
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"The MGMT Solution," Vocabulary from Chapter 11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the time of the murder, he was on a structured deferred sentence for that case.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Tata Group is uniquely structured - a charitable arm called Tata Trusts owns 66% of the group's parent company, Tata Sons.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Buffer funds, which tend to cost less than a structured note, have become popular as an aging population of baby boomers weighs the risks and rewards of investing as they near retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
What these apps do best is lay bare the ways in which our entire economy is structured like a betting app strung together by incentive perverts.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
From the few job inquiries he’d made, he already sensed that jobs in those towers would be different, much more structured, formal, and confining.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.