English Reference

Word

architecture

Phoneticsar·chi·tec·ture

US/ˈɑɹkəˌtɛktʃɝ/

UK/ˈɑːkɪtˌɛktʃɐ/

Definitions

01designing buildings

A2

n. the job or study of designing buildings and other large structures.

n. the profession, study, or practice of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures.

“She decided to study architecture because she loved drawing and math.”

“Modern architecture often prioritizes sustainable materials and energy efficiency over purely aesthetic considerations.”

Usage

uncountable in this general sense.

Synonyms

building designconstruction

02a style of building

B1

n. a particular style or way of designing buildings from a certain time or place.

n. a specific style or method of building design characteristic of a period, place, or culture.

“The city is famous for its beautiful colonial architecture.”

“The cathedral is a stunning example of Gothic architecture, featuring pointed arches and elaborate stone carvings.”

Usage

can be countable or uncountable.

Synonyms

03system structure

B2 · Computing

n. the way that the parts of a complex system or piece of software are organized.

n. the fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components and their relationships to each other.

“The new computer has a completely different architecture than the old model.”

“The software's modular architecture allows developers to update individual components without compromising the stability of the entire platform.”

Technical

Usage

often used to describe hardware or software frameworks.

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek ἄρχω (árkhō) Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ρχῐ- (ărkhĭ-) Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- Proto-Indo-European *tetḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Indo-European *tétḱō Proto-Hellenic *téktōn Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn) Ancient Greek ἀρχιτέκτων (arkhitéktōn)bor. Latin architectus Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Latin architectūralbor. French architecturebor. English architecture Borrowed from French architecture, from Latin architectūra. Originally from architect, from Ancient Greek ἀρχιτέκτων (arkhitéktōn, “architect”, literally “arch builder, ext. chief builder, principal craftsman”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

architecturalAdjectivearchitectureNoun

Domains

ArchitectureComputing

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/architecture

English Reference