superstructure

noun su·per·struc·ture \-ˌstrək-chər\

: the part of a structure (such as a ship or bridge) that is above the lowest part

Full Definition of SUPERSTRUCTURE

a : an entity, concept, or complex based on a more fundamental one

b : social institutions (as the law or politics) that are in Marxist theory erected upon the economic base

: a structure built as a vertical extension of something else: as

a : all of a building above the basement

b : the structural part of a ship above the main deck

— su·per·struc·tur·al \ˌsü-pər-ˈstrək-chə-rəl, -ˈstrək-shrəl\ adjective

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