tectonic
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tectonic
Where it comes from
1650s, in sense of building, from Late Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός (tektonikós, “pertaining to building”), from Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter, joiner, maker”), from Proto-Indo-European *teḱ- (“to make”) (from which also texture). In sense of geology, attested 1894. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn) + -ic (“pertaining to”).
adjective
- Of or relating to construction or to architecture.
- Structural.
- Of, relating to, or caused by large-scale movements of the Earth's (or a similar planet's) lithosphere. A boiling hot rock planet with extreme tectonic activity, Parnassus is home to many volcanic mountains. Surface scans reveal several geothermal and solar power stations, tapping the planet's abundant energy.
- Momentous, utter, vast. But it would be a mistake to imagine that we are benignly coming full circle, or even that we are finding that the old ways are still the most efficient. A tectonic shift has occurred.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: architectonic, construction, structural, deformational, geomorphic, lithospheric, crustal, geological, geodynamic, configurational, skeletal, seismic, framework, architectural, constructional, formative
Translations
Every language
adj relating to construction or architecture
| Español | tectónico |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 地殼構造 /地壳构造 |
| Português | tectónico, tectônico |
| Deutsch | architektonisch |
adj (geology) relating to large-scale movements
| Español | tectónico |
|---|---|
| Français | tectonique |
| Deutsch | tektonisch |
| Italiano | tettonico |
| Русский | тектони́ческий tektoníčeskij |
Talk about this word "tectonic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tectonic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tectonic. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tectonic "tectonic." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tectonic.Cite this
@misc{tectonic_2026,
title = {tectonic},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tectonic},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
