variants
or less commonly spacial
1
: relating to, occupying, or having the character of space
2
: of, relating to, or involved in the perception of relationships (as of objects) in space
tests of spatial ability
spatial memory
Examples of spatial in a Sentence
When patients have this kind of problem, they can't feel the relationship between their body and their feet, so they must rely on visual cues to keep themselves upright. Without these cues, they lose their spatial orientation and fall.
—
John Pettinato, Discover, October 2004
Williams syndrome, which was first described in 1961, results when a group of genes on one copy of chromosome 7 is deleted during embryonic development. Most people with Williams resemble each other more than they do their families, with wide-set hazel eyes, upturned noses, and wide mouths. They also share a peculiar set of mental impairments. Most stumble over the simplest spatial tasks, such as putting together a puzzle, and many not read or write beyond the level of a first grader.
—U.S. News & World Report, 15 June 1998
Several new ground-based and orbiting astronomical facilities that could provide high spatial and spectral resolution appear technologically ready for development during the next several decades.
—Robert D. Gehrz et al., Science, 25 May 1984
the spatial dimensions of a room
John Pettinato, Discover, October 2004
Williams syndrome, which was first described in 1961, results when a group of genes on one copy of chromosome 7 is deleted during embryonic development. Most people with Williams resemble each other more than they do their families, with wide-set hazel eyes, upturned noses, and wide mouths. They also share a peculiar set of mental impairments. Most stumble over the simplest spatial tasks, such as putting together a puzzle, and many not read or write beyond the level of a first grader.
—U.S. News & World Report, 15 June 1998
Several new ground-based and orbiting astronomical facilities that could provide high spatial and spectral resolution appear technologically ready for development during the next several decades.
—Robert D. Gehrz et al., Science, 25 May 1984
the spatial dimensions of a room
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no head tracking spatial audio, for example.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The result further exposes the torso in its most vulnerable feminine places, while accelerating the figure’s spatial turn.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Mirrors on each end of the stripe then repeatedly reflect these waves; because of interference and loss, only certain frequencies and spatial patterns—or modes—are sustained.
—Susumu Noda, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
What's more, a recent surge in research on fish brain function has found that goldfish share many of the same cognitive abilities as humans, including object perception, social learning, and spatial awareness.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Following the Major League Soccer cup, the film was shot in 8K 3D, offered a 180-degree view and came with spatial audio.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
The study involved a spatial puzzle involving colored blocks and the vast majority of the participants opted for the much more cumbersome additive solution instead of subtracting, because subtraction is just not how our minds are oriented.
—Angela Chen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Someday there will be another editor sitting in this chair, planning a 75th or 100th anniversary of PEOPLE that will live on the page or a screen or in 3D or on some new spatial plane yet to be invented.
—Wendy Naugle, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Second, statistical analyses developed by Wake Forest University professor Staci Hepler revealed spatial associations between Thomson’s gazelles and wildebeest that were strong in high rainfall years and weakened in years with widespread fires.
—T. Michael Anderson, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024
Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The result further exposes the torso in its most vulnerable feminine places, while accelerating the figure’s spatial turn.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Mirrors on each end of the stripe then repeatedly reflect these waves; because of interference and loss, only certain frequencies and spatial patterns—or modes—are sustained.
—Susumu Noda, IEEE Spectrum, 14 Apr. 2024
What's more, a recent surge in research on fish brain function has found that goldfish share many of the same cognitive abilities as humans, including object perception, social learning, and spatial awareness.
—Lily Carey, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Following the Major League Soccer cup, the film was shot in 8K 3D, offered a 180-degree view and came with spatial audio.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
The study involved a spatial puzzle involving colored blocks and the vast majority of the participants opted for the much more cumbersome additive solution instead of subtracting, because subtraction is just not how our minds are oriented.
—Angela Chen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Someday there will be another editor sitting in this chair, planning a 75th or 100th anniversary of PEOPLE that will live on the page or a screen or in 3D or on some new spatial plane yet to be invented.
—Wendy Naugle, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Second, statistical analyses developed by Wake Forest University professor Staci Hepler revealed spatial associations between Thomson’s gazelles and wildebeest that were strong in high rainfall years and weakened in years with widespread fires.
—T. Michael Anderson, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spatial.' 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 spatial
Cite this Entry
“Spatial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spatial. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
spatial
adjective
spa·tial
ˈspā-shəl 
1
: relating to, occupying, or having the character of space
affected with spatial disorientation
2
: of or relating to facility in perceiving relations (as of objects) in space
tests of spatial ability
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