rectangle

noun

rect·​an·​gle ˈrek-ˌtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce rectangle (audio)
: a parallelogram all of whose angles are right angles
especially : one with adjacent sides of unequal length

Examples of rectangle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s thought that one of the paintings from the Parsons show became the Josef Albers–esque Untitled (c. 1950–53), a side-by-side of rectangles in shades of purple. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 When folded back up, the path produces a periodic trajectory, as shown in the green rectangle. Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 The house is a series of rectangles punctuated with windows, with an open floor plan to let in the light. Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 25 Jan. 2024 Fold the sides of the narrow rectangle in, to slightly overlap in the center. Maggie Burch, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2024 In the wireframe, the previous design's html will appear as a white rectangle. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023 In the Cybertruck the rear video view is displayed in a small rectangle in the truck’s center screen. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 Flat-screen televisions mounted on both sides of the long rectangle of a store-slash-teaching kitchen. Jordan P. Hickey, Longreads, 22 Feb. 2024 Lay out a grid of identical rectangles, each viewed as a mirror image of its neighbors. Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rectangle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin rectangulus having a right angle, from Latin rectus right + angulus angle — more at right, angle

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rectangle was circa 1560

Dictionary Entries Near rectangle

Cite this Entry

“Rectangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rectangle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rectangle

noun
rect·​an·​gle ˈrek-ˌtaŋ-gəl How to pronounce rectangle (audio)
: a four-sided polygon that has four right angles and each pair of opposite sides parallel and of the same length
Etymology

from Latin rectangulus "having a right angle," from earlier Latin rectus "right" and angulus "angle"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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