superstructure

1. (nautical) Any structure built above the top full deck (FM 55-501).countableuncountable

2. (sometimes figurative) All that part of a building above the basement.countablefigurativelysometimesuncountable

3. (British, railroad) The sleepers and fastenings, in distinction from the roadbed.Britishcountableuncountable

4. (Marxism) The social sphere of ideology which includes religion, art, politics, law and all traditional values.Examples: "The superstructure evolves more slowly and is more resistant to change than the economic infrastructure, especially in the modern industrial age of advanced capitalism."Antonyms: base, infrastructure, substructureMarxismcountableuncountable