structure means A cohesive whole built up of distinct parts.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, structure ranks #10,922 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #11,008 of 14,456 for The Improbable, #11,727 of 14,448 for Funniest Words, #11,944 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words.
structure is pronounced /ˈstɹʌk(t)ʃə/.
Why “structure” is a great word
The cohesive arrangement of distinct parts into a coherent, functioning whole, or the act of creating such an arrangement. From Middle French structure, from Latin structūra ('a fitting together, building'), from struere, past participle structus ('to pile up, arrange, assemble, build'). Unlike 'form,' which emphasizes the external shape or silhouette, or 'framework,' which denotes a skeletal support or basic plan, 'structure' concerns the internal logic—the hidden architecture of relation and support that gives a thing its integrity and purpose. It is the steel lattice within the glass curtain wall, the grammatical rules governing a poet's rebellion, and the silent rhythm of habit that shapes a life; it is the invisible order we impose to keep the world from flying apart.
Etymology
From Middle French structure, from Latin structūra (“a fitting together, adjustment, building, erection, a building, edifice, structure”), from struere, past participle structus (“pile up, arrange, assemble, build”). Compare construct, instruct, destroy, etc.
noun
- A cohesive whole built up of distinct parts.“The birds had built an amazing structure out of sticks and various discarded items.”
- The underlying shape of a solid.“He studied the structure of her face.”
- The overall form or organization of something.“The structure of a sentence.”
- A set of rules defining behaviour.“For some, the structure of school life was oppressive.”
- Several pieces of data treated as a unit.“This structure contains both date and timezone information.”
- Underwater terrain or objects (such as a dead tree or a submerged car) that tend to attract fish“There's lots of structure to be fished along the west shore of the lake; the impoundment submerged a town there when it was built.”
- A body, such as a political party, with a cohesive purpose or outlook.“The South African leader went off to consult with the structures.”
- A set along with a collection of finitary functions and relations.
verb
- To give structure to; to arrange.“I'm trying to structure my time better so I'm not always late.”
Words closest in meaning
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