What does rectangle mean?
A rectangle is a four-sided geometric figure whose corners are all right angles. Its opposite sides have equal lengths, although the lengths of the two pairs of sides may differ. The word is also used for objects, spaces, or areas that have this outline, often in contexts involving diagrams, packaging, architecture, and everyday descriptions. In mathematics, rectangles are central to the study of area, perimeter, symmetry, and proportions, and their properties provide the basis for related shapes such as squares and parallelograms. In informal writing, a reference to a rectangle may sometimes suggest a plain or ordinary shape. The term is distinct from the more general word “quadrilateral,” which includes many four-sided figures that do not necessarily have right angles. A rectangle is also more specific than a square in everyday usage, since a square has four equal sides, while a rectangle need not.
nounA quadrilateral with four straight sides and four right angles. In everyday use, the term can also refer to an object or area shaped like this geometric figure.
- A geometric quadrilateral with four straight sides and four right angles.
- An object, surface, or area whose outline is rectangular.
"She drew a rectangle around the selected text before deleting it."
"The formula for the area of a rectangle is length multiplied by width."
"There was a large rectangle of sunlight on the classroom floor."
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"The students arranged the colored rectangles on the board."
A rectangle is one of geometry's most familiar shapes—and a square is just a rectangle with unusually balanced ambitions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rectangle come from?
The English word comes through French from Latin rectangulum, a noun meaning “right-angled,” formed from rectus, “straight” or “right,” and angulus, “angle.” The Latin word was used for a quadrilateral with right angles and entered English in the early 16th century. English “right,” “erect,” “rectify,” and “correct” belong to related Latin formations based on rectus, while the English word “angle” continues Latin angulus.
Related word forms
How rectangle is actually used
In formal geometry, the word specifically denotes a quadrilateral with four right angles. In general use, it commonly describes a flat object or area with that shape, and it can sometimes suggest something plain, regular, or unadorned.
Easily confused with rectangle
A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles, whereas a quadrilateral may have any combination of angles and sides.
A square is a rectangle with four equal sides; a rectangle does not require all four sides to be the same length.