structural
Americanadjective
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of or relating to structure; relating or essential to a structure.
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resulting from or relating to political or economic structure: structural inequalities;
structural reforms to the social safety net;
structural inequalities;
structural racism.
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Biology. relating to organic structure; morphological.
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Geology. of or relating to geological structure, as of rock or strata.
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Chemistry. relating to or showing the arrangement or mode of attachment of the atoms that constitute a molecule of a substance.
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of, relating to, or based on the assumption that the elements of a field of study are naturally arranged in a systematic structure.
structural grammar.
noun
adjective
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of, relating to, or having structure or a structure
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of, relating to, or forming part of the structure of a building
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of or relating to the structure and deformation of rocks and other features of the earth's crust
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of or relating to the structure of organisms; morphological
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chem of, concerned with, caused by, or involving the arrangement of atoms in molecules
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of structural
Explanation
When you're talking about something structural you're talking about the way it's built. The simple look of a building can mask its complex structural design. A skeleton is the structural framework of a body. While we all look different on the outside, for the most part, we all share the same structural components — we're built the same way. Some buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower, reveal their structural design completely. They are nothing but structure. Other buildings work hard to hide their structural qualities. You can discuss the structural nature of ideas too, as in "structural economics" or even human relationships.
Vocabulary lists containing structural
Latin Love, Vol I: struere
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Unit 3: Cellular Systems
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Architecture 101
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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.
"Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am committed to maximising efficiencies in our system alongside record investment. I remain committed to structural reform which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog."
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Like any other building from 1971, or a democracy created in 1776, the Kennedy Center could use some attention and possibly some structural repair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Investor sentiment is clearly concerned with a much more structural industry deterioration, which would in turn require a much more structural BMW response – as especially VW has detailed in recent months.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
His base case is that, since March 2020, G-7 bonds “have entered a structural bear market after a 39-year bull market.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
"If it hits the ground, it'll do structural damage to the tanks, frame, and probably the second-stage engine. We'd never be able to fix it."
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
