structure
n. C / Un. the way the parts of something are put together or organized. It can also mean a physical thing that has been built, like a building or a bridge.
n. the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex. It also designates a physical object constructed from several parts, such as a building.
The structure of the essay is easy to follow.
The engineers inspected the steel structure to ensure it could withstand the upcoming hurricane.
While the novel's plot is relatively simple, its narrative structure relies on shifting perspectives and non-linear timelines to build suspense.
From Middle French structure, from Latin structūra (“a fitting together, adjustment, building, erection, a building, edifice, structure”), from struere, past participle structus (“pile up, arrange, assemble, build”). Compare construct, instruct, destroy, etc.
Uncountable when referring to the abstract quality of organization; countable when denoting a specific building or a defined system.