superstructure

noun

su·​per·​struc·​ture ˈsü-pər-ˌstrək-chər 

1

a

: an entity, concept, or complex based on a more fundamental one

b

: social institutions (such as the law or politics) that are in Marxist theory erected upon the economic base

2

: a structure built as a vertical extension of something else: such as

a

: all of a building above the basement

b

: the structural part of a ship above the main deck

superstructural

ˌsü-pər-ˈstrək-chə-rəl 

-ˈstrək-shrəl

adjective

Examples of superstructure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The superstructure, however, is lined with one-way glass windows that allow onboard privacy and exceptional views of the ocean. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2025

These five superstructures were described in a preprint paper published on the server arXiv last week. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025

Separate, permanent regulatory superstructures were established, isolating networks and infrastructures from one another. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

At the moment, the mass of these superstructures is keeping them together, but this will not last forever, Böhringer said. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for superstructure

• infrastructure
• macrostructure
• microstructure
• nanostructure
• ultrastructure
• restructure
• substructure
• structure