Structure is the way parts of something are arranged or organized to form a complete whole. A building has a structure of beams, walls, and floors that hold it up. A story has a structure of beginning, middle, and end that makes it satisfying to read. Even your body has a structure: your skeleton gives shape and support to everything else.

You can think of structure as the framework that makes something work. A good essay has a clear structure that helps readers follow your ideas. A soccer team has a structure with different positions that work together. A molecule has a structure that determines what it can do.

Structure can also be a verb. When you structure your day, you organize your time so homework, practice, and fun each have their place. Teachers structure lessons to help students learn step by step.

Without structure, things fall apart or become confusing. The Eiffel Tower needs its iron structure to stand tall. Your persuasive paragraph needs structure so your argument makes sense. When something is well structured, all its pieces fit together purposefully, like a puzzle where every piece belongs where it is.