# structure

Pronunciation: US say "STRUK-chur" /ˈstɹʌkt͡ʃɚ/; say "STRUK-chuh" UK /ˈstɹʌk(t)ʃə(ɹ)/, AUS /ˈstɹɐk.t͡ʃə/

## Noun

1. The way the parts of something are arranged or organized in relation to one another, as in a novel, a society, or a crystal.
   - Simple: The way the parts of something are put together or arranged.
   - _The novel's structure alternates between two timelines set decades apart._
   - _The reorganization gave the department a flatter structure with fewer layers of management._
2. A unified whole made up of separate parts that fit together, such as a building or a living cell.
   - Simple: Something whole that is made of many parts joined together.
   - _Engineers inspected the structure for cracks after the earthquake._
   - _A living cell is a remarkably complex structure containing dozens of specialized components._
4. In computing, several pieces of data grouped together and treated as a single unit.
   - Simple: In computers, a group of pieces of information that the program keeps and uses together.
   - _The function returns a structure containing the user's ID, email, and creation date._
   - _The parser fills each structure with a timestamp and a set of sensor readings._
5. A set of rules that defines and governs behavior.
   - Simple: A set of rules that tells people how to act.
   - _The new manager brought structure to the office, with firm deadlines and weekly check-ins._
   - _Recovering patients often benefit from the structure of a strict daily routine._
6. A body, such as a political party, united by a cohesive purpose or shared outlook.
   - Simple: A group, like a political party, that works together for a shared goal.
   - _The movement evolved into a formal structure with elected officers and a written charter._
   - _Several grassroots structures merged to form a national coalition before the election._

## Verb

3. To give definite organization or form to; to arrange the parts of something according to a plan.
   - Simple: To organize something so that its parts fit together in a clear order.
   - _The company structured the deal to minimize its tax liability._
   - _We structure our courses around weekly projects rather than final exams._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In fishing, any feature of the bottom or object lying underwater, such as a dead tree or a sunken car, where fish tend to gather.
- (noun) In mathematics and logic, a set together with a collection of finitary functions and relations defined on it.

## Origin

This word came through Middle French structure from Latin structura, meaning a fitting together or a building. That comes from struere (past participle structus), meaning to pile up, arrange, assemble, or build.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/structure (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).