The

structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

of a thing is how the parts of it relate to each other, how it is "assembled". Structure may also refer to:

Architecture

* Architectural structure, a man-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy ** Building ** Nonbuilding structure **

Building (disambiguation) A building is a constructed object intended for occupancy by humans or animals. Building may also refer to: Books and magazines * ''Building'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''Building'' (Australian magazine) Film and television *'' Le Buildi ...

Engineering

* Structural engineering *

Structural analysis Structural analysis is a branch of Solid Mechanics which uses simplified models for solids like bars, beams and shells for engineering decision making. Its main objective is to determine the effect of loads on the physical structures and thei ...

, the study of the strength and properties of structures

Biology

* Canopy (biology) structure, organization or three-dimensional geometry of a plant canopy * Community (ecology) structure, ecological organization of a biological community * ''Structure'' (journal), a scientific journal describing protein structures * ''Structure'', a journal on form and function in modern biology

Chemistry

* Chemical structure, the spatial arrangement of atoms and bonds in a molecule ** Protein structure * The spatial arrangement of ions, atoms, or molecules in condensed matter ** Crystal structure **

Structure of liquids and glasses The structure of liquids, glasses and other non-crystalline solids is characterized by the absence of long-range order which defines crystalline materials. Liquids and amorphous solids do, however, possess a rich and varied array of short to medi ...

Mathematics

Mathematical structure In mathematics, a structure is a set endowed with some additional features on the set (e.g. an operation, relation, metric, or topology). Often, the additional features are attached or related to the set, so as to provide it with some additional ...

on a set, additional mathematical objects that in some manner attach to the set, making it easier to visualize or work with, or endowing the collection with meaning or significance *

Algebraic structure In mathematics, an algebraic structure consists of a nonempty set ''A'' (called the underlying set, carrier set or domain), a collection of operations on ''A'' (typically binary operations such as addition and multiplication), and a finite set of ...

, the systems that are studied in universal algebra * Structure (mathematical logic), the algebraic structures studied in model theory * Structure constants, defining a Lie algebra or an algebra over a field *

Structuralism (philosophy of mathematics) Structuralism is a theory in the philosophy of mathematics that holds that mathematical theories describe structures of mathematical objects. Mathematical objects are exhaustively defined by their place in such structures. Consequently, structur ...

, a theory in the philosophy of mathematics that holds that mathematical theories describe structures of mathematical objects

Social sciences and linguistics

Structuralism In sociology, anthropology, archaeology, history, philosophy, and linguistics, structuralism is a general theory of culture and methodology that implies that elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a broader ...

, the theory that elements of human culture must be understood in terms of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure *

Structural linguistics Structural linguistics, or structuralism, in linguistics, denotes schools or theories in which language is conceived as a self-contained, self-regulating Semiotics, semiotic system whose elements are defined by their relationship to other element ...

, an approach to linguistics originating from the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, a part of the overall approach of structuralism * Deep structure and surface structure, concepts in linguistics, specifically the study of syntax in the Chomskyan tradition * Social structure, a pattern of social arrangements in society * Structural functionalism, a theory of society as a system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability * Functional structuralism, a theory of society that deduces structure from function *

Structural anthropology Structural anthropology is a school of sociocultural anthropology based on Claude Lévi-Strauss' 1949 idea that immutable deep structures exist in all cultures, and consequently, that all cultural practices have homologous counterparts in other ...

, a theory of social structure in primitive societies, strongly associated with the work of Claude Lévi Strauss *

Biogenetic structuralism Charles D. Laughlin, Jr. (born 1938) is a neuroanthropologist known primarily for having co-founded a school of neuroanthropological theory called " biogenetic structuralism." Laughlin is an emeritus professor of anthropology and religion at Car ...

, a theory of anthropology grounded in neuroscience *

Structuration theory The theory of structuration is a social theory of the creation and reproduction of social systems that is based on the analysis of both ''structure'' and '' agents'' (see structure and agency), without giving primacy to either. Furthermore, in stru ...

, a theory of social systems based in the analysis of both structure and agents * Structure and agency, two confronted theories about human behaviour *

Base and superstructure In Marxist theory, society consists of two parts: the base (or substructure) and superstructure. The base refers to the mode of production which includes the forces and relations of production (e.g. employer–employee work conditions, the t ...

, two parts of a Marxist analysis of society *

Structural Marxism Structural Marxism is an approach to Marxist philosophy based on structuralism, primarily associated with the work of the French philosopher Louis Althusser and his students. It was influential in France during the 1960s and 1970s, and also c ...

, an approach to Marxism based on structuralism, associated with Louis Althusser * Structuralism (architecture), a structuralist critique of architecture *

Structuralist film theory Structuralist film theory is a branch of film theory that is rooted in structuralism, itself based on structural linguistics. Overview Structuralist film theory emphasizes how films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions not dis ...

, a branch of film theory rooted in structuralism * Post-structuralism, the theory that structuralism evolved into

Literature

* Dramatic structure, the way dramatic works, such as plays or films, are organized * Narrative structure, the order and manner in which a narrative is presented to a reader, listener, or viewer

Finance

* Financial structure, the area of finance dealing with monetary decisions that business enterprises make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions **

Capital structure In corporate finance, capital structure refers to the mix of various forms of external funds, known as capital, used to finance a business. It consists of shareholders' equity, debt (borrowed funds), and preferred stock, and is detailed in the ...

, the way a corporation finances its assets through a combination of equity, debt, or hybrid securities **

Structured finance Structured finance is a sector of finance - specifically financial law - that manages leverage and risk. Strategies may involve legal and corporate restructuring, off balance sheet accounting, or the use of financial instruments. Securitization ...

, a sector of finance created to help provide increased liquidity or funding sources to markets

Music

* Musical structure (disambiguation) * ''Structure'' (Terri Lyne Carrington, Jimmy Haslip, Greg Osby, and Adam Rogers album), 2004 * ''Structure'' (Water from Your Eyes album), 2021 * ''Structures'' (John Abercrombie album), 2006 * ''Structures'' (Boulez), composition * ''Structures'' (John Digweed album), 2010 * Structures (band), a Canadian metalcore band

Other uses

* Structural art, examples of structural engineering that attain excellence in the three areas of efficiency, economy, and elegance * Large-scale structure of the cosmos *

Structural geology Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover informatio ...

, the three dimensional distribution of rock bodies and their planar or folded surfaces, and their internal fabrics *

Data structure In computer science, a data structure is a data organization, management, and storage format that is usually chosen for efficient access to data. More precisely, a data structure is a collection of data values, the relationships among them, a ...

, a way of storing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently * '' The Structure of Scientific Revolutions'', a 1962 book by Thomas Kuhn on the history of science * Structure, the former name for the Express Men clothing brand * New Structure, a political party in Greece