load-bearing
adjectiveUK /ˈləʊdˌbeərɪŋ/
US /ˈloʊdˌberɪŋ/
A load-bearing part of a building holds up the weight above it.
The wall is load-bearing, so we can't knock it down.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Carrying or supporting a heavy weight.
The load-bearing beams keep the roof from falling.
3. Very important or essential to keeping something working.
Trust is a load-bearing part of any friendship.
4. In engineering, designed to carry the weight of a structure.
Engineers checked every load-bearing joint before the bridge opened.