scaffolding
noun
scaf·fold·ing
ˈska-fəl-diŋ 
-ˌfōl-
1
: a system of scaffolds
… photographers were allowed, three at a time, to ascend the elaborate scaffolding …—
Eric Scigliano
Eric Scigliano
also
: material for scaffolds
2
: a support system or structure likened to a system of scaffolds
… in his readings and talks with authors, he is seeking theoretical scaffolding for his actions …—John F. Dickerson
John F. Dickerson
especially, education
: a system or framework of support provided by an instructor to help a student reach the next level of learning
By identifying the next skills just above the child's current skill level, then providing scaffolding (or assistance) in a way that helps the child display the identified skills accurately, and then fading out the need for scaffolding, you can help a child to learn new things and become more independent. —Heather Gilmore
Heather Gilmore Teachers should look for tools that help them easily adjust instructional scaffolding from assignment to assignment and from student to student—allowing them to meet students where they are as they learn to write for authentic audiences. —Troy Hicks
Troy Hicks Examples of scaffolding in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With the June 15 budget deadline and July 1 Workforce Pell implementation date around the corner, state agencies and legislators will have to move fast to iron out their plans and create the scaffolding necessary to support the new program.
—Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
The scaffolding -- which will frame and light the cage where the fight is occurring, according to renderings shared by UFC -- is visible from the White House North Lawn, cresting over the historic West Wing and Oval Office.
—Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 26 May 2026
These historical examples illustrate ingenuity enabled by structural support — and that scaffolding is just as important now.
—Jim Williamson, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Authorities identified the deceased person as a 65-year-old Malaysian tourist and said that the people trapped are mostly construction workers who are now stuck under concrete slabs, iron bars, aluminum scaffolding and other debris.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scaffolding
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Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
The scaffolding -- which will frame and light the cage where the fight is occurring, according to renderings shared by UFC -- is visible from the White House North Lawn, cresting over the historic West Wing and Oval Office.
—Nicholas Kerr, ABC News, 26 May 2026
These historical examples illustrate ingenuity enabled by structural support — and that scaffolding is just as important now.
—Jim Williamson, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Authorities identified the deceased person as a 65-year-old Malaysian tourist and said that the people trapped are mostly construction workers who are now stuck under concrete slabs, iron bars, aluminum scaffolding and other debris.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scaffolding
Cite this Entry
“Scaffolding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scaffolding. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scaffolding
noun
scaf·fold·ing
ˈskaf-əl-diŋ
-ˌōl-
1
: a system of scaffolds
2
: materials for scaffolds
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