Meaning & use

substructure

noun·Advanced

The underlying structure or foundation that supports something built above it.

See it in a sentence

Engineers inspected the bridge's substructure carefully for signs of corrosion.

The substructure of the ancient temple survived long after its walls collapsed.

A note on using this word

Substructure is used both literally, for the foundation of a building or bridge, and figuratively, for a basic underlying framework.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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