surface structure

noun

The outward form of a sentence; the specific arrangement of words and phrases as they appear in spoken or written language.

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Meanings

nounsurface structure (plural surface structures)

plural surface structures

  1. human sciencesThe outward form of a sentence; the specific arrangement of words and phrases as they appear in spoken or written language.
Cite this entry
APA

surface structure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20structure

MLA

“surface structure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20structure. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “surface structure,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/surface%20structure.

Source: surface structure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.