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two-dimensional

adjective

two-di·​men·​sion·​al ˈtü-də-ˈmen(t)-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce two-dimensional (audio)
also -dī-
Synonyms of two-dimensionalnext
1
: of, relating to, or having two dimensions
The most symmetric of the two-dimensional objects is the circle, because you can rotate it any amount and reflect it over any axis through its center, and it remains exactly the same …Tamara M. Davis
… consider a piece of paper, a two-dimensional object. Crumple the paper up. The more tightly it's compressed, the more chaotic are its folds, and the closer the two-dimensional surface moves to becoming a three-dimensional solid.John Briggs and F. David Peat
2
: lacking the illusion of depth : not three-dimensional
His violent, nakedly two-dimensional art can be difficult to capture in photographs, depending as it does in great measure on knotty textures and eccentric color schemes for effect.Publishers Weekly
3
: lacking depth of characterization
two-dimensional characters
two-dimensionality noun
plural two-dimensionalities
two-dimensionally adverb
This guide … covers thoroughly and in-depth the process of representing the human form two-dimensionally on paper. Heather Halliday

Examples of two-dimensional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And even with such data, the view would remain two-dimensional. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025 To affordably resolve the vast space between the Sun and the planets, researchers divide the space into large cubes—analogous to two-dimensional pixels in a camera. JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025 To affordably resolve the vast space between the Sun and the planets, researchers divide the space into large cubes – analogous to two-dimensional pixels in a camera. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025 Layers of these two-dimensional crystals are stacked using van der Waals forces rather than chemical bonds, enhancing stability. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for two-dimensional

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-dimensional was in 1863

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Cite this Entry

“Two-dimensional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-dimensional. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

two-dimensional

adjective
: of, relating to, or having two dimensions (as length and width)

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