scaffolding

noun

scaf·​fold·​ing ˈska-fəl-diŋ 

-ˌfōl-

1

: a system of scaffolds

… photographers were allowed, three at a time, to ascend the elaborate scaffolding …

—Eric Scigliano

also : material for scaffolds

2

: a support system or structure likened to a system of scaffolds

… in his readings and talks with authors, he is seeking theoretical scaffolding for his actions …

—John F. Dickerson

especially, education : a system or framework of support provided by an instructor to help a student reach the next level of learning

By identifying the next skills just above the child's current skill level, then providing scaffolding (or assistance) in a way that helps the child display the identified skills accurately, and then fading out the need for scaffolding, you can help a child to learn new things and become more independent.

—Heather Gilmore

Teachers should look for tools that help them easily adjust instructional scaffolding from assignment to assignment and from student to student—allowing them to meet students where they are as they learn to write for authentic audiences.

—Troy Hicks

Examples of scaffolding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1960s, the architect Cedric Price, prompted by the guerrilla director Joan Littlewood, came up with — but never built — Fun Palace, a scaffolding that could be infinitely rejiggered to meet its users’ needs for leisure, play, and performance. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Legacy code analysis, dependency mapping, migration scaffolding and infrastructure remediation—agents handle the mechanical parts faster than any team can. — Vaibhav Gujral, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

While some have questioned if Palantir can keep its technical promises, a more fundamental concern is whether such digital scaffolding should come from overseas at all. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

The dust, the noise and the scaffolding had transformed Bucharest into a construction site. — Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scaffolding

noun

scaf·​fold·​ing ˈskaf-əl-diŋ 

-ˌōl-

1

: a system of scaffolds

2

: materials for scaffolds