adj
tectonic
adj
1
Relating to the large-scale structure and movement of the Earth's crust.
"The earthquake was caused by tectonic plate movement."
2
Massive or extremely significant in scale.
"The merger caused a tectonic shift in the industry."
How to Use Tectonic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually refers to the movement of the Earth's crust, or figuratively to a huge, sweeping change.
Common pairings
tectonic plates
tectonic shift
tectonic activity
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The earthquake was caused by _____ plate movement.
Etymology
From Greek tektonikos ("pertaining to building"), from tekton ("builder, carpenter"). Its geological sense dates from the 1890s.