✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

spatial

adjective

spa·​tial ˈspā-shəl How to pronounce spatial (audio)
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
spatiality noun
or less commonly spaciality
spatially adverb
or less commonly spacially

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But while Li is betting that solving spatial intelligence (as her company defines it) is necessary for AI to advance beyond a certain point—a trillion dollar concern—whether that holds remains to be seen. Tharin Pillay, Time, 9 Dec. 2025 Meta, for instance, has invested aggressively in making its Ray-Ban smart glasses more capable, while Apple’s Vision Pro opened the door for premium spatial computing experiences. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 8 Dec. 2025 Poulson said RailCubehelps kids work on pattern recognition, coding, problem-solving and spatial recognition skills. Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 5 Dec. 2025 The Apple AirPods Pro 3 feature active noise cancellation that effectively shuts out the world, along with spatial audio that makes playlists feel more immersive and spacious. PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spatial

Word History

Etymology

Latin spatium space

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spatial was in 1847

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spatial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spatial. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

spatial

adjective
spa·​tial ˈspā-shəl How to pronounce spatial (audio)
: of or relating to space
spatially adverb

Medical Definition

spatial

adjective
spa·​tial ˈspā-shəl How to pronounce spatial (audio)
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
spatially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on spatial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!