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
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
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
But as the Universe keeps on expanding, the spatial curvature still dilutes, the same way that a small Pringles chip has a greater amount of curvature than a large horse’s saddle.
—Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Planning meets spatial grounding To tackle this, the team developed GroundedPlanBench to test whether AI models can plan tasks while also identifying exactly where each action should happen.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
The sound installation will present the album in spatial audio on a D&B Soundscape sound system.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spatial
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Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
His appetite for complexity was increasingly indulged as a means of branding cities and institutions, and his novel forms were deployed as blunt metaphors to absorb and obscure contradictions rather than negotiate them in material and spatial terms.
—Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026
Planning meets spatial grounding To tackle this, the team developed GroundedPlanBench to test whether AI models can plan tasks while also identifying exactly where each action should happen.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
The sound installation will present the album in spatial audio on a D&B Soundscape sound system.
—Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spatial
Cite this Entry
“Spatial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spatial. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
spatial
adjective
spa·tial
ˈspā-shəl 
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
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