load-bearing
LOHD-bair-ing
/ˈloʊdˌbɛərɪŋ/
Capable of supporting a structural load or weight, especially the weight of a building's roof or upper floors.
Specifically refers to structural elements that are essential to the building's stability, as opposed to partition walls which only divide space.
The story behind the word. The term combines two ancient Germanic roots. 'Load' originally meant a journey or a course, which later evolved into the cargo carried on a journey. 'Bearing' comes from the Old English verb meaning to carry or endure. Together, they describe a structural element that 'carries the journey' of gravity down to the earth.
Word relationships
- supportive: Supportive is a general term for anything that holds something up, whereas load-bearing is a precise engineering term for carrying structural weight.
- structural: Structural refers to the entire framework of a building, while load-bearing specifically denotes the capacity to carry gravity loads.
- non-bearing: Non-bearing walls or elements carry no structural weight other than their own.
- decorative: Decorative elements are purely aesthetic and serve no structural or weight-supporting purpose.
Commonly confused with
- retaining: A retaining wall holds back soil or water laterally, whereas a load-bearing wall supports vertical weight from above.
Word family
- load (noun): The weight or force supported by a structure.
- bearing (noun): The part of a structure that supports weight.
Collocations
- load-bearing wall
- load-bearing column
- load-bearing capacity
- load-bearing structure
Example sentences
- "Before knocking down the kitchen wall, the contractor checked to ensure it was not a load-bearing partition." Home renovation warning
- "The load-bearing columns of the ancient temple were carved from solid blocks of Pentelic marble." Architectural design
Memory hook
Think of an old-fashioned pack mule bearing a heavy load on its back; if the mule collapses, the entire load falls. Similarly, a load-bearing wall holds up the entire house. Bears the heavy load.
When not to use
Do not use to describe purely decorative elements or temporary supports that do not carry permanent structural weight.
Fun facts
- In many modern skyscrapers, the outer glass walls carry absolutely no weight; the entire load-bearing system is concentrated in a central concrete core.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.