Revised 2014 More entries for "structure"
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structurenoun
Factsheet
What does the noun structure mean?
There are 17 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun structure, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
structure has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the noun structure?
About 200occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 16 |
| 1760 | 20 |
| 1770 | 23 |
| 1780 | 23 |
| 1790 | 24 |
| 1800 | 36 |
| 1810 | 39 |
| 1820 | 38 |
| 1830 | 54 |
| 1840 | 52 |
| 1850 | 59 |
| 1860 | 62 |
| 1870 | 69 |
| 1880 | 72 |
| 1890 | 75 |
| 1900 | 74 |
| 1910 | 81 |
| 1920 | 83 |
| 1930 | 100 |
| 1940 | 130 |
| 1950 | 150 |
| 1960 | 200 |
| 1970 | 250 |
| 1980 | 270 |
| 1990 | 270 |
| 2000 | 220 |
| 2010 | 220 |
How is the noun structure pronounced?
British English
/ˈstrʌktʃə/
STRUCK-chuh
U.S. English
/ˈstrək(t)ʃər/
STRUCK-chuhr
Where does the noun structure come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun structure is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for structure is from around 1440, in Palladius' De Re Rustica.
structure is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French structure; Latin structūra.
Nearby entries
- structural-semantic, adj.1954–
- structural semanticist, n.1961–
- structural semantics, n.1955–
- structural survey, n.1888–
- structural unemployment, n.1931–
- structural viscosity, n.1926–
- structural word, n.1884–
- structurate, v.1664–
- structurated, adj.1880–
- structuration, n.1925–
- structure, n.?1440–
- structure, v.1664–
- structure contour, n.1904–
- structured, adj.1796–
- structure dependence, n.1970–
- structure dependency, n.1961–
- structure-dependent, adj.1951–
- structuredness, n.1941–
- structured programming, n.1969–
- Structured Query Language, n.1976–
- structured settlement, n.1984–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for structure, n.
structure, n. was revised in June 2014.
structure, n. was last modified in December 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into structure, n. in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1919)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Factsheet for structure, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- structural-semantic, adj.1954–
- structural semanticist, n.1961–
- structural semantics, n.1955–
- structural survey, n.1888–
- structural unemployment, n.1931–
- structural viscosity, n.1926–
- structural word, n.1884–
- structurate, v.1664–
- structurated, adj.1880–
- structuration, n.1925–
- structure, n.?1440–
- structure, v.1664–
- structure contour, n.1904–
- structured, adj.1796–
- structure dependence, n.1970–
- structure dependency, n.1961–
- structure-dependent, adj.1951–
- structuredness, n.1941–
- structured programming, n.1969–
- Structured Query Language, n.1976–
- structured settlement, n.1984–
