spatial

play

adjective spa·tial \ ˈspā-shəl \

variants: or less commonly spacial

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

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

—

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

The spatial extent of Carcraft’s capabilities grew to include whole cities, the number of cars grew into a huge virtual fleet.

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "Inside Waymo's Secret World for Training Self-Driving Cars," 23 Aug. 2017
The kid solved Chapman in four pitches, like one of those geniuses of spatial thinking who solve a Rubik's cube in under a minute.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "The Yankees-Red Sox Rivalry Is Back, And It Could Soon Dominate Baseball Again," 15 Aug. 2017
But the spatial model of the electorate favored by the lowest common bloviator remains ubiquitous.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Democrats Can Abandon the Center — Because the Center Doesn’t Exist," 30 July 2017
Angle said the spatial information generated by Roombas would enable connected devices to function better.

— hamza shaban, latimes.com, "As your Roomba cleans your floors, it's gathering maps of your house," 25 July 2017
A higher power beam leads to a greater flux of neutrons, enabling greater spatial and temporal resolution and the study of small samples, such as proteins.

— edwin cartlidge, Science | AAAS, "Rising costs hamper mega–neutron beam facility," 24 July 2017
But that brightness varies randomly in space, so the probability also has a spatial dependence.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Frosted glass obscures quantum information," 20 July 2017
Every aspect of the work — the disjunctive scale of its subjects, the spatial illogic and the crisp, ghostly forms — reinforces the hallucinatory quality.

— leah ollman, latimes.com, "At Blum & Poe, a 'Cosmic Garden' of ghostly beauty," 14 July 2017
Single-leg exercises improve our balance and our body’s spatial awareness.

— jason wanlass, idahostatesman, "Get a leg up on your training," 7 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of spatial

Latin spatium space

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First Known Use: 1847

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SPATIAL Defined for English Language Learners

spatial

play

adjective

Definition of spatial for English Language Learners

: of or relating to space and the relationship of objects within it

SPATIAL Defined for Kids

spatial

play

adjective spa·tial \ ˈspā-shəl \

Definition of spatial for Students

:of or relating to space

Medical Dictionary

spatial

play

adjective spa·tial \ ˈspā-shəl \

medical Definition of spatial

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

play \ˈspāsh-(ə-)lē\ adverb

Learn More about spatial

See words that rhyme with spatial Spanish Central: Translation of spatial Nglish: Translation of spatial for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spatial for Arabic speakers

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spatial

Definition of spatial

spatiality

spatially

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Examples of spatial in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spatial from the Web

Origin and Etymology of spatial

SPATIAL Defined for English Language Learners

spatial

Definition of spatial for English Language Learners

SPATIAL Defined for Kids

spatial

Definition of spatial for Students

Medical Dictionary

spatial

medical Definition of spatial

spatially

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