superstructure

noun

su·​per·​struc·​ture ˈsü-pər-ˌstrək-chər 

1

a

: an entity, concept, or complex based on a more fundamental one

b

: social institutions (such as the law or politics) that are in Marxist theory erected upon the economic base

2

: a structure built as a vertical extension of something else: such as

a

: all of a building above the basement

b

: the structural part of a ship above the main deck

superstructural

ˌsü-pər-ˈstrək-chə-rəl 

-ˈstrək-shrəl

adjective

Examples of superstructure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Replacing the plain-vanilla look of the previous iteration, Alfa G’s black hull with a signature red stripe and white superstructure complete this remarkable conversion. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 10 June 2025

Inspired by platforms like Shopify and Atlassian that provide infrastructure for others to build on, Den aims to become the superstructure for AI-native teams to scale smarter and faster. —Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

Every two years the bridge undergoes a hands-on inspection of the superstructure and substructure and is given a rating, DOT officials said, according to records about the project and the meeting. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2025

The consortium led by GRK Suomi includes Finnish, Estonian, French and Swedish partners taking charge of substructure and superstructure works for the Ülemiste–Pärnu and Tootsi–Pärnu segments. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for superstructure

• infrastructure
• macrostructure
• microstructure
• nanostructure
• ultrastructure
• restructure
• substructure
• structure