Meaning & use

structuralism

noun·Advanced

A theoretical approach that analyzes cultural phenomena, such as language or myths, in terms of underlying structures and relationships.

See it in a sentence

Structuralism influenced how linguists compared grammar patterns across different languages.

Her thesis applied structuralism to examine recurring patterns in folk tales.

A note on using this word

Structuralism was later challenged by post-structuralism, which questioned the idea of fixed, universal structures.

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