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
- nonstructured adjective
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
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.
District officials said that they would accept the automatic raise approach if it were structured in an affordable way.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Over many decades, the queen in her public appearances maintained a silhouette of practicality over trend, usually a structured jacket and matching hat, along with Anello & Davide calf leather loafers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Each bite should feel balanced rather than heavy — structured indulgence instead of excess for its own sake.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
How should the house deal and his mother’s estate plan be structured?
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
“He has always pressed it, and he always will. We always let him and we always will let him. The moment is structured that way.”
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
