spatial

adjective spa·tial \ ˈspā-shəl \

variants: or less commonly spacial

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

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

Based on the emissions and spatial distribution of these 12 systems, the team estimates 10,000 to 20,000 of these objects should be swirling around our galaxy’s core, mostly unseen.

— lee billings, Scientific American, "Astronomers Spy Swarms of Black Holes at Our Galaxy's Core," 4 Apr. 2018
The hippocampus is also involved in long-term memory and spatial navigation.

— helen branswell, STAT, "Monkey study suggests Zika infection in infancy could cause brain damage," 4 Apr. 2018
Welcome them home As for spatial arrangement, balance and symmetry put everyone at ease.

— lisa marie hart, USA TODAY, "Take a fresh approach to updating your entire house," 25 Mar. 2018
From hour 18 onward, your decision-making and math-processing abilities and your spatial awareness slowly deteriorate.

— wes judd, Outside Online, "What Happens to Your Body on No Sleep," 2 Apr. 2018
According to Harvey, today's algorithms rely on identifying telltale human facial features, like the eyes or the bridge of the nose, in tandem with their spatial relationship, as well as symmetry, complexion tone, and skin texture.

— lauren valenti, Vogue, "Yes, There's a Way to Outsmart Facial Recognition Technology—and It Comes Down to Your Makeup," 30 Mar. 2018
Tomb-like, haunting, moody, intimidating, even spiritual, Ando's buildings are spatial sublimity at its finest.

— brad dunning, GQ, "These Are the 8 Architectural Wonders Of the Fashion World," 28 Mar. 2018
School districts are also testing for other attributes, including spatial ability (ie, the capacity to generate, manipulate and store visual images).

— The Economist, "How and why to search for young Einsteins," 22 Mar. 2018
This process could help with a number of everyday activities, such as navigating an unfamiliar environment by inferring spatial relationships between a few known landmarks.

— helen shen, Scientific American, "Portrait of a Memory," 14 Mar. 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.