spatial

adjective spa·tial \ ˈspā-shəl \

variants: or less commonly spacial

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Examples: spatial in a Sentence

Definition of spatial

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

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spatiality

play \ˌspā-shē-ˈa-lə-tē\ or less commonly spaciality noun

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spatially

play \ˈspā-sh(ə-)lē\ or less commonly spacially adverb

See spatial defined for English-language learners

See spatial defined for kids

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 of spatial from the Web

This opening sequence is a stunning testament to Bird’s uncanny spatial awareness, his playful understanding of physics.

— richard lawson, HWD, "Incredibles 2 Review: Superhero Action That’s Familiar, but Fantastic," 11 June 2018
Technology Envelop at the Midway is an experimental sound installation that promotes technology for making spatial audio.

— arielle pardes, WIRED, "The Aural Magic of Stanford's Laptop Orchestra," 8 June 2018
The report relied on rainfall calculations done by Texas state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, who compared Harvey to other storms in terms of duration, amount of rain and spatial coverage.

— Washington Post, "Report: Harvey’s 5-day rainfall in Texas unprecedented in US," 7 June 2018
From the satellite view, urban spaces are also assumed to exhibit geometric spatial patterns, such as straight roads and contiguous, rectilinear buildings.

— annette m. kim, The Atlantic, "Satellite Images Can Harm the Poorest Citizens," 5 June 2018
But Tam had both an ironclad memory and sense of spatial recognition.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Inside Moses Farrow's Defense Of Woody Allen, Accusations Against Mia Farrow," 24 May 2018
But finding a space to accommodate that and fit the company's spatial needs and price point took almost two years.

— maggie menderski, The Courier-Journal, "Pieces for museums are shipped from this hot Louisville neighborhood," 21 May 2018
Most magical of all is what's required to build those spatial maps in James' head.

— sally jenkins, chicagotribune.com, "How is LeBron James always one move ahead? Let's ask the scientists.," 18 May 2018
Most previous research on potential new treatments for Alzheimer's has examined how those drug compounds affect spatial memory, one of the easiest types to assess in animals, Crystal said.

— dwight adams, Indianapolis Star, "Here's how memory in animals may improve treatments for Alzheimer's," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spatial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.