A data structure whose organizational characteristics are invariant throughout its lifetime. Such structures are well supported by high-level languages and familiar examples are arrays and records. The prime features of static structures are

1. (a) none of the structural information need be stored explicitly within the elements—it is often held in a distinct logical/physical header;

2. (b) the elements of an allocated structure are physically contiguous, held in a single segment of memory;

3. (c) all descriptive information, other than the physical location of the allocated structure, is determined by the structure definition;

4. (d) relationships between elements do not change during the lifetime of the structure.

Relaxation of these features leads to the concept of a dynamic data structure.