Structured

How to spell structured

10 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce structured

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does structured mean?

1. adjectiveArranged or organised according to a clear, deliberate plan or pattern.
2. verbOrganised or arranged something into a particular form or order (past tense of structure).

Structured in a sentence

• adjective

  The course follows a highly structured weekly timetable.

• verb

  The consultant structured the report around three main findings.

• adjective

  New employees prefer a structured training programme over vague guidance.

• verb

  They structured the loan so that repayments started after six months.

Where does structured come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb struere, which meant 'to build, to pile up, or to arrange in order'. From its past participle came the noun structura, meaning 'a fitting together' or 'a building', which English adopted as 'structure' by way of French in the 1400s. The verb 'to structure', meaning to organise something into a definite arrangement, grew out of that noun, and 'structured' is simply its past tense and participle form. The same Latin struere also gave us 'construct', 'destruction', 'instruct', and 'industry', all of which keep the tell-tale 'struct' spelling. Remembering that buried 'struct' (the same chunk as in 'construct') is the surest way to keep the spelling steady, since the soft 'ch' sound in the middle never hints at the hard 'ct' on the page.

How the word is built

• struct (build)
• -ure (result/state)
• -ed (past tense / adjective suffix)