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substructure
noun
sub·struc·ture
ˈsəb-ˌstrək-chər
: an underlying or supporting part of a structure
Examples of substructure in a Sentence
The bridge's substructure was damaged.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1726, in the meaning defined above
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
: an underlying or supporting part of a structure
Medical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on substructure
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for substructure
Britannica English: Translation of substructure for Arabic Speakers
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