substructure

noun

sub·​struc·​ture ˈsəb-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce substructure (audio)
: an underlying or supporting part of a structure
substructural adjective

Examples of substructure in a Sentence

The bridge's substructure was damaged.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If, by contrast, the brain was able to pick up on the smell of a molecule’s substructures, neurons would adapt to the substructure. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2024 The Federal Highway Administration maintains a public database of bridge ratings in every state that considers multiple parts of a bridge’s structure, including the deck, superstructure, substructure and culvert. Devon Milley, Idaho Statesman, 18 July 2024 Four-fifths of those bridges have problems with the substructures that hold them up or the superstructures that support their load. David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2024 The most recent World Values Survey reveals a dispiriting substructure of stubbornly persistent bias that has remained unchanged for the past decade. Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for substructure 

Word History

First Known Use

1726, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substructure was in 1726

Dictionary Entries Near substructure

Cite this Entry

“Substructure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substructure. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

substructure

noun
sub·​struc·​ture ˈsəb-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce substructure (audio)
: an underlying or supporting part of a structure

Medical Definition

substructure

noun
sub·​struc·​ture ˈsəb-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce substructure (audio)
: an underlying or supporting structure
substructural adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on substructure

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!