structural

adjective

struc·​tur·​al ˈstrək-chə-rəl How to pronounce structural (audio)
ˈstrək-shrəl
1
: of or relating to the physical makeup of a plant or animal body
structural defects of the heart
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting structure
structural stability
b
: used in building structures
structural clay
c
: involved in or caused by structure especially of the economy
structural unemployment
3
: of, relating to, or resulting from the effects of folding or faulting of the earth's crust : tectonic
4
: concerned with or relating to structure rather than history or comparison
structural linguistics
structurally adverb

Examples of structural in a Sentence

The house suffered no structural damage.
Recent Examples on the Web The news of a pregnancy in another person causes structural damage to their relationship. Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Because of structural changes in the movie adaptation, Alia is still unborn by the climax of the second film. Lucas Trevor, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 Construction workers will replace structural elements made of steel like joints, bearings and steel members, as well as concrete barriers for each bridge. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Herro missed his third consecutive game with the knee injury sustained late in Friday’s game in New Orleans; an MRI earlier this week showed no structural damage. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Every structural component is made from the stuff—the front frame (chassis), subframe, bodywork, wheels, various engine and wheel guards, all of it. Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 For example, in construction or engineering, companies engage offshore civil engineers for the creation of structural drawings, engineering specification documents, bill of material analysis and so much more. Shaveer Mirpuri, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Too many or too-big holes could weaken a shell to its breaking point, so structural factors might limit which eyes are possible. Quanta Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 But at least 180 million tons of the waste also have been used as structural fill since 1980, according to the American Coal Ash Association, an industry trade group. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'structural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of structural was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near structural

Cite this Entry

“Structural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/structural. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

structural

adjective
struc·​tur·​al ˈstrək-chə-rəl How to pronounce structural (audio)
ˈstrək-shrəl
1
: of, relating to, or affecting structure
structural weaknesses
2
: used or formed for use in construction
structural steel
structurally
adverb

Medical Definition

structural

adjective
1
: of or relating to the physical makeup of a plant or animal body
structural defects of the heart
compare functional sense 1a
2
: of, relating to, or affecting structure
structural stability
structurally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on structural

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