Dictionary-Definition.com :: Structure definition

Definition of 'structure'

noun

A thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts; "the structure consisted of a series of arches"; "she wore her hair in an amazing construction of whirls and ribbons" [syn: structure, construction]

noun

The manner of construction of something and the arrangement of its parts; "artists must study the structure of the human body"; "the structure of the benzene molecule"

noun

The complex composition of knowledge as elements and their combinations; "his lectures have no structure"

noun

A particular complex anatomical part of a living thing; "he has good bone structure" [syn: structure, anatomical structure, complex body part, bodily structure, body structure]

noun

The people in a society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships; "the social organization of England and America is very different"; "sociologists have studied the changing structure of the family" [syn: social organization, social organisation, social structure, social system, structure]

verb

Give a structure to; "I need to structure my days"

Definition of 'Structure'

From: GCIDE

Structure \Struc"ture\, n. [L. structura, from struere, structum, to arrange, build, construct; perhaps akin to E. strew: cf. F. structure. Cf. Construe, Destroy, Instrument, Obstruct.]
1. The act of building; the practice of erecting buildings; construction. [R.] [1913 Webster]
His son builds on, and never is content Till the last farthing is in structure spent. --J. Dryden, Jr. [1913 Webster]
2. Manner of building; form; make; construction. [1913 Webster]
Want of insight into the structure and constitution of the terraqueous globe. --Woodward. [1913 Webster]
3. Arrangement of parts, of organs, or of constituent particles, in a substance or body; as, the structure of a rock or a mineral; the structure of a sentence. [1913 Webster]
It [basalt] has often a prismatic structure. --Dana. [1913 Webster]
4. (Biol.) Manner of organization; the arrangement of the different tissues or parts of animal and vegetable organisms; as, organic structure, or the structure of animals and plants; cellular structure. [1913 Webster]
5. That which is built; a building; esp., a building of some size or magnificence; an edifice. [1913 Webster]
There stands a structure of majestic frame. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
Columnar structure. See under Columnar. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'structure'

From: Moby Thesaurus

action,
adobe house,
aesthetic form,
anagnorisis,
anatomy,
angle,
appositive,
archetype,
architectonics,
architecture,
argument,
arrange,
arrangement,
array,
art form,
assemblage,
assemble,
assembly,
atmosphere,
attribute,
attributive,
background,
build,
build up,
building,
buildup,
casa,
cast,
catastrophe,
character,
characterization,
clarity,
clear-cutness,
clearness,
cliff dwelling,
coherence,
color,
combination,
combine,
complement,
complex,
complication,
compose,
composition,
compound,
concord,
configuration,
conformation,
connectedness,
consist of,
consistency,
constitute,
constitution,
construct,
construction,
construction modifier,
consulate,
continuity,
contrivance,
cool off,
country house,
country seat,
crystallinity,
cut,
cutting,
dacha,
deanery,
deep structure,
definition,
denouement,
deploy,
deployment,
design,
development,
device,
direct object,
directness,
disposal,
dispose,
disposition,
distinctness,
dwelling house,
Dymaxion house,
edifice,
embassy,
embodiment,
embody,
enter into,
episode,
erection,
establishment,
explicitness,
fable,
fabric,
fabricate,
fabrication,
falling action,
farm,
farmhouse,
fashion,
fashioning,
feel,
figuration,
figure,
filler,
finish,
form,
form-function unit,
format,
formation,
frame,
framework,
function,
genre,
getup,
gimmick,
go into,
grade,
grain,
granular texture,
hall,
harmonize,
harmony,
hierarchize,
house,
houseboat,
IC analysis,
immediate constituent analysis,
impression,
incident,
incorporate,
incorporation,
indentation,
indirect object,
inner form,
join,
junction,
knub,
lake dwelling,
lay out,
layout,
levels,
limpidity,
line,
line up,
lineup,
living machine,
local color,
lodge,
lucidity,
make,
make up,
makeup,
manor house,
manse,
marshal,
marshaling,
matrix,
merge in,
methodize,
mix,
mixture,
modality,
mode,
model,
modifier,
mold,
mood,
morphology,
motif,
movement,
mythos,
nap,
nature,
network,
normalize,
nub,
object,
order,
organization,
organize,
pacify,
packaged house,
parsonage,
pattern,
peace,
pellucidity,
penthouse,
peripeteia,
perspicuity,
phrase structure,
piece together,
piecing together,
pile,
pit,
plain English,
plain speech,
plain style,
plainness,
plan,
Platonic form,
Platonic idea,
plot,
pock,
predicate,
prefab,
prefabricated house,
prefabrication,
presidential palace,
proportion,
prototype,
protuberance,
put together,
putting together,
pyramid,
qualifier,
quiet,
quietude,
ranch house,
rank,
ranks,
recognition,
rectory,
regularity,
regularize,
regulate,
rising action,
roof,
routine,
routinize,
scheme,
secondary plot,
set,
set up,
setup,
shag,
shallow structure,
shape,
shaping,
significant form,
simplicity,
skeleton,
skyscraper,
slant,
slot,
slot and filler,
sod house,
split-level,
stamp,
standardize,
story,
straightforwardness,
strata,
structuring,
style,
subject,
subplot,
superstructure,
surface,
surface structure,
surface texture,
switch,
symmetry,
syneresis,
syntactic analysis,
syntactic structure,
syntactics,
syntax,
synthesis,
synthesize,
system,
systematize,
tagmeme,
texture,
thematic development,
theme,
tone,
topic,
tower,
town house,
tranquilize,
tranquillity,
transparency,
transpicuity,
turn,
twist,
type,
unadorned style,
unambiguousness,
underlying structure,
unequivocalness,
uniformity,
unite in,
unmistakableness,
vicarage,
wale,
weave,
White House,
woof,
word arrangement,
word order

'Structure' definitions:

Definition of 'structure'

Definition of 'Structure'

Synonyms of 'structure'

Words containing 'Structure'