data structure JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU

/ˈdeɪtə ˈstrʌk.tʃər/ · da·ta struc·ture

noun

A particular way of organizing, storing, and accessing data in a computer so that operations such as retrieval, insertion, and deletion can be performed efficiently. Choosing the right data structure, such as a hash table for fast look‑ups, can dramatically improve an algorithm’s performance.

Synonyms

data organization data model information architecture storage scheme container collection type abstract data type record layout

Antonyms

unstructured data flat file

Did you know? The term gained widespread academic use after the 1974 textbook “Data Structures” by Aho, Hopcroft, and Ullman, which helped standardize the vocabulary across computer‑science curricula.

Related terms

algorithm array linked list tree graph hash table

Written by Lexi Wordsworth, Dictionary Editor 0 lookups Added Jul 17, 2026