Relating to the form, structure, or arrangement of something, especially the physical characteristics of an organism or language elements. It involves the study of the shapes and forms of things, as well as how those forms change and develop. In biology, it pertains to the external structure of an organism. In linguistics, it refers to the study of morphemes (the smallest units of meaning) and how they combine to form words. The term also extends to art, architecture, and other fields that analyze and utilize the form and structure of objects and systems. Its understanding is fundamental to identifying patterns, analyzing relationships, and making informed judgements based on form, structure, and the processes that create and alter it. It's a crucial tool for describing, classifying, and comparing the shape or form of objects and analyzing patterns within.
Morphological meaning with examples
- The biologist meticulously examined the insect's morphological features, noting the intricate structure of its antennae and the segmented nature of its legs to identify the species. The researchers then studied the insect's developmental stages and analyzed the changes of these features over time, furthering their understanding of its life cycle and evolutionary history.
- In linguistics, morphological analysis reveals the way words are built from morphemes. For example, understanding the root, prefix, and suffix, allows to comprehend the word 'unbreakable'. The 'un-' prefix signals negation, 'break' is the root, and '-able' indicates possibility. This analysis can help to build and understand the intricacies of language structure.
- Architects use morphological studies to explore different building shapes and forms. They experiment with geometrical patterns and surface details to optimize building design. These investigations aim to balance aesthetic appeal with structural integrity, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. These analyses are critical to the creation of designs that are functional and visually interesting.
- Paleontologists examine morphological traits in fossilized bones to deduce evolutionary relationships between species. They carefully compare skeletal structures, identifying similarities and differences in bone size and shape, this method is crucial for tracing ancestry and building the evolutionary tree of life and it provides understanding for past environmental impacts.
- Artists might study the morphological properties of natural forms to gain inspiration for sculptures. They might observe the spiraling shape of a nautilus shell, the radial pattern of a sunflower, or the branching structure of a tree. These are used to inform the creation of artworks that evoke organic aesthetics and create designs with complex visual arrangements.
Morphological Synonyms
anatomical configurational formal form-based shape-related structural typologicalMorphological Antonyms
amorphous formless shapeless unstructuredMorphological Crossword Answers
10 Letters
STRUCTURAL
11 Letters
MORPHOLOGIC
14 Letters
GEOMORPHOLOGIC
16 Letters
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL