patterning

noun

pat·​tern·​ing ˈpa-tər-niŋ 

1

: decoration, composition, or configuration according to a pattern

2

: physical therapy especially for neurological impairment based on a theory holding that repeated manipulation of body parts to simulate normal motor developmental activity (such as crawling or walking) promotes neurological development or repair

Examples of patterning in a Sentence

The wallpaper is decorated with floral patterning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Advanced nanoparticles allow precise control of bacterial patterning A recent study in Advanced Functional Materials overcomes these limitations by introducing a multilevel encoding platform. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Dec. 2025

Whereas flowering plants can tweak hue, saturation and patterning, yielding almost infinite combinations to target different pollinators, cycads can only adjust heat intensity. —Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 11 Dec. 2025

The patterning of roads on a map (how cells are arranged) may be less important in determining traffic patterns than the number and size of lanes (cell size and number). —Jacob S. Suissa, The Conversation, 25 Nov. 2025

The latest computer simulations offer a new explanation for why nature’s patterns are both orderly and beautifully imperfect, and the findings could reshape how scientists think about biological patterning and even inspire future biomaterials and smart surface designs. —New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

patterning

noun

pat·​tern·​ing

: physical therapy especially for neurological impairment based on a theory holding that repeated manipulation of body parts to simulate normal motor developmental activity (as crawling or walking) promotes neurological development or repair