tectonic

[ tek-ton-ik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to building or construction; constructive; architectural.
2. Geology.
   1. pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust.
   2. referring to the forces or conditions within the earth that cause movements of the crust.
   3. designating the results of such movements:

      tectonic valleys.

tectonic

/ tɛkˈtɒnɪk /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to construction or building
2. geology
   1. (of landforms, rock masses, etc) resulting from distortion of the earth's crust due to forces within it
   2. (of processes, movements, etc) occurring within the earth's crust and causing structural deformation

tectonic

/ tĕk-tŏn′ĭk /

1. Relating to the forces involved in plate tectonics or the structural features resulting from them.

Derived Forms

• tecˈtonically, adverb

Other Words From

• tec·toni·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tectonic¹

1650–60; < Late Latin tectonicus < Greek tektonikós pertaining to construction, equivalent to tekton- (stem of téktōn ) carpenter + -ikos -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of tectonic¹

C17: from Late Latin tectonicus, from Greek tektonikos belonging to carpentry, from tektōn a builder

Example Sentences

The US West Coast is the confluence of a number of the Earth's tectonic plates, and tremors are not uncommon.

From BBC

Stretching 5000km along the Indian Ocean's 90-degree east longitude and nearly matching the length of North America's Rocky Mountains, the ridge offers crucial new insights into the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.

From Science Daily

Although the narrative is sparse, the film is thematically “tectonic,” as Murphy says.

From Los Angeles Times

If China does take a more central role, it would mark a tectonic shift in the COP process.

From BBC

His own comment in a newspaper, that the "tectonic plates" in the Labour Party were moving, gave rise to suggestions of manoeuvring within the cabinet.

From BBC

Related Words

• anatomical
• architectural
• basic
• constitutional
• skeletal