struc·ture
ˈstrək-chər 
1
: the action of building : construction
2
a
: something (such as a building) that is constructed
b
: something arranged in a definite pattern of organization
a rigid totalitarian structure—
J. L. Hess
J. L. Hessleaves and other plant structures
3
: manner of construction : makeup
Gothic in structure
4
a
: the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body
soil structure
molecular structure
b
: organization of parts as dominated by the general character of the whole
economic structure
personality structure
c
: coherent form or organization
tried to give some structure to the children's lives
5
: the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other
the structure of a language
structured; structuring
ˈstrək-chə-riŋ
ˈstrək-shriŋ
Synonyms
Examples of structure in a Sentence
Noun
They studied the compound's molecular structure.
The film had a simple narrative structure.
the structure of a plant
the social structure of a college campus
changes to the company's power structure
The structure was damaged by fire.
Children need a lot of structure in their lives.
Verb
She structured the essay chronologically.
Recent Examples on the WebByallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The structure of the album has outlived the technological constraints of vinyl.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
About 1,500 of these structures already have been built.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,690-square-foot home caught the attention of Zillow Gone Wild, a popular Facebook page that highlights interesting houses up for sale, and folks were pleasantly captivated by the structure and the interior.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2024
The actual structure of the deal is not clear, though the Paramount film and TV studios would likely fit in nicely with Sony’s own studios.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
At the same time that Lomax and his team were confirming the species of ichthyosaur in the U.K., a graduate student in Germany was examining bone fragments from around the world to confirm the internal bone structure of all ichthyosaurs.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
Late last month, the city of Garden Grove approved a project agreement with a private developer to build a $152-million police station and related parking structure and park project, which will be funded by a $140-million bond and with money from the city’s Measure O sales-tax measure.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 17 Apr. 2024
The bill creates the structure of a live music fund that will one day provide grants to live music and performance venues, promoters and performers.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
To the extent that the 13-hour day was structured, it was broken roughly in two: the first half dedicated to the issue of encroaching federal power and the second to election denial and conspiracy theories.
—Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The current outline of the deal would be structured so that the Skydance contingent would acquire Shari Redstone’s holding company, National Amusements, which controls about 77% of the voting shares of Paramount Global, but notably less than 10% of the total equity.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The challenge is structured using an administrative petition against Judge Juan Merchan, who has barred Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and court staff.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Highsmith structures them as telling details, the kinds of specifics that writers employ like shorthand to build a person in the reader’s mind.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years later, Republicans structured the anti-expansion amendment to apply to the entire state budget.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Margolin suggested that doc producers and filmmakers refer to the Documentary Producers Alliance’s Documentary Waterfall Guidelines for guidance on how to structure the financing from the original budget through the allocation of net profits.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
In Canada, where hospice is structured entirely differently, 39% of dementia patients receive hospice care in the last year of life.
—Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
The funds vary radically in size, structure, and objectives.
—Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024
The structure of the album has outlived the technological constraints of vinyl.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
About 1,500 of these structures already have been built.
—David Morgan, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom, 3,690-square-foot home caught the attention of Zillow Gone Wild, a popular Facebook page that highlights interesting houses up for sale, and folks were pleasantly captivated by the structure and the interior.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2024
The actual structure of the deal is not clear, though the Paramount film and TV studios would likely fit in nicely with Sony’s own studios.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
At the same time that Lomax and his team were confirming the species of ichthyosaur in the U.K., a graduate student in Germany was examining bone fragments from around the world to confirm the internal bone structure of all ichthyosaurs.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
Late last month, the city of Garden Grove approved a project agreement with a private developer to build a $152-million police station and related parking structure and park project, which will be funded by a $140-million bond and with money from the city’s Measure O sales-tax measure.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 17 Apr. 2024
The bill creates the structure of a live music fund that will one day provide grants to live music and performance venues, promoters and performers.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
With fluttering synths and an electro-pop beat, it’s structured as one of Swift’s trademark glistening pop gems.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
To the extent that the 13-hour day was structured, it was broken roughly in two: the first half dedicated to the issue of encroaching federal power and the second to election denial and conspiracy theories.
—Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024
The current outline of the deal would be structured so that the Skydance contingent would acquire Shari Redstone’s holding company, National Amusements, which controls about 77% of the voting shares of Paramount Global, but notably less than 10% of the total equity.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
The challenge is structured using an administrative petition against Judge Juan Merchan, who has barred Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and court staff.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Highsmith structures them as telling details, the kinds of specifics that writers employ like shorthand to build a person in the reader’s mind.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years later, Republicans structured the anti-expansion amendment to apply to the entire state budget.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Margolin suggested that doc producers and filmmakers refer to the Documentary Producers Alliance’s Documentary Waterfall Guidelines for guidance on how to structure the financing from the original budget through the allocation of net profits.
—Addie Morfoot, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
In Canada, where hospice is structured entirely differently, 39% of dementia patients receive hospice care in the last year of life.
—Maria J Silveira, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'structure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near structure
Cite this Entry
“Structure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/structure. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
structure
1 of 2 noun
struc·ture
ˈstrək-chər
1
: the action of building : construction
2
: something constructed or arranged in a definite pattern of organization
3
: manner of construction : the arrangement or relationship of elements (as particles, parts, or organs) in a substance, body, or system
soil structure
the structure of a plant
molecular structure
social structure
the structure of a language
structure
2 of 2 verb
structured; structuring
ˈstrək-chə-riŋ
ˈstrək-shriŋ
: to form into a structure : organize
Medical Definition
structure
noun
struc·ture
ˈstrək-chər
1
: something (as an anatomical part) arranged in a definite pattern of organization
2
a
: the arrangement of particles or parts in a substance or body
molecular structure
b
: organization of parts as dominated by the general character of the whole
personality structure
3
: the aggregate of elements of an entity in their relationships to each other
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