power structure

noun

1

: a group of persons having control of an organization : establishment

2

: the hierarchical interrelationships existing within a controlling group

Examples of power structure in a Sentence

The parade won't happen without the approval of the city's power structure.

Women in the company are struggling for equality against the male power structure.

They are making changes to the power structure of the church.

Recent Examples on the Web

On top of that, shocks from nature, such as pandemics and climate events, and waves of new technology disrupt economies and power structures. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026

Khamenei presides over a vast power structure of officials who have much to lose from the fall of the theocracy. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 17 Jan. 2026

Students learn to critique power structures theoretically but struggle to operate effectively in contexts where their assumptions don’t universally apply. —Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026

This leads to more contemporary echoes in her film, where Amanda doesn’t simply submit to power structures. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for power structure

• infrastructure
• macrostructure
• microstructure
• nanostructure
• superstructure
• ultrastructure
• restructure
• substructure