structural

[ struhk-cher-uhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to structure; relating or essential to a structure.
2. resulting from or relating to political or economic structure: structural inequalities;

   structural reforms to the social safety net;

   structural inequalities;

   structural racism.

3. Biology. relating to organic structure; morphological.
4. Geology. of or relating to geological structure, as of rock or strata.
5. Chemistry. relating to or showing the arrangement or mode of attachment of the atoms that constitute a molecule of a substance. Compare structural formula.
6. 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

1. Building Trades.
   1. a part of a structure that carries a load.
   2. the structural member used for such a part.

structural

/ ˈstrʌktʃərəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having structure or a structure
2. of, relating to, or forming part of the structure of a building
3. of or relating to the structure and deformation of rocks and other features of the earth's crust
4. of or relating to the structure of organisms; morphological
5. chem of, concerned with, caused by, or involving the arrangement of atoms in molecules

Derived Forms

• ˈstructurally, adverb

Other Words From

• struc·tur·al·ly adverb
• non·struc·tur·al adjective
• non·struc·tur·al·ly adverb
• un·struc·tur·al adjective
• un·struc·tur·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of structural¹

First recorded in 1825–35; structure + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the authors found that the changes occurred in three structural cell types.

From Science Daily

"Back then, we were able to correlate structural changes in the mossy fiber synapses to their functionality," says Kim.

From Science Daily

"The situation illustrates a structural problem for groundwater management in Oregon," Jaeger explains.

From Science Daily

While cannabis is a known risk factor for developing psychosis, which can progress to schizophrenia, this is the first time researchers have measured structural changes in the brains of a high-risk population in real time.

From Science Daily

While previous methods were too imprecise to distinguish neighboring cells like mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, single-cell genomics allowed the team to investigate the genetic and structural changes in each cell type from both plants.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• anatomical
• architectural
• basic
• constitutional
• skeletal