diagonal

adjective di·ag·o·nal \ dī-ˈa-gə-nᵊl , -ˈag-nəl \

Definition of diagonal

1 a :joining two vertices of a rectilinear figure that are nonadjacent or two vertices of a polyhedral figure that are not in the same face

b :passing through two nonadjacent edges of a polyhedron

a diagonal plane

2 a :inclined obliquely from a reference line (such as the vertical)

wood with a diagonal grain

b :having diagonal markings or parts

a diagonal weave

See diagonal defined for English-language learners

See diagonal defined for kids

Examples of diagonal in a Sentence

The blanket is covered with diagonal stripes.
the diagonal design ran up the wall all the way from the lower left to the upper right-hand corner

Recent Examples of diagonal from the Web

It is expected to dissect Louisiana in a diagonal line, starting at its southwestern corner.

— kevin litten, NOLA.com, "Mitch Landrieu: Harvey forecast is much improved for New Orleans," 29 Aug. 2017
Instead, each entry includes information on two sides of a right triangle: the ratio of the short side to the long side and the ratio of the short side to the diagonal, or hypotenuse.

— ron cowen, Science | AAAS, "This ancient Babylonian tablet may contain the first evidence of trigonometry," 24 Aug. 2017
On April 8, 2024, the path of totality will trace a diagonal line from Texas up to Maine, including a good portion of eastern Missouri.

— kansascity, "Miss the eclipse? You only have to wait seven years for another once-in-a-lifetime event," 23 Aug. 2017
Infrastructure work is being done along Western Avenue, which borders east side of the development, including the addition of diagonal parking spots and storm sewers.

— mark lawton, chicagotribune.com, "The year of the crane: Lake Forest home to a number of construction projects," 22 Aug. 2017
The front door of the church is tongue and groove planks set on the carved planks diagonal and has large medieval-like black wrought iron hinges which provide a striking contrast to the dark red door.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: History of Church of the Resurrection in Fernbank," 2 Aug. 2017
The diagonal scar on Mr Khattab’s neck is another story; assassins had planted a bomb near his house.

— The Economist, "The pushmi-pullyuWhat makes Pakistan so unfathomable," 22 July 2017
Hand came up with a diagonal line that runs through the garden and organizes everything — paths, raised beds, seating and shed.

— valerie easton, The Seattle Times, "What’s new, what’s next in Lorene Edwards Forkner’s garden," 19 July 2017
Try to create one diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees.

— amy marturana, SELF, "The Best Stretch to Do After Every Abs Workout," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diagonal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of diagonal

Latin diagonalis, from Greek diagōnios from angle to angle, from dia- + gōnia angle; akin to Greek gony knee — more at ¹knee

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1563

See Words from the same year

diagonal Synonyms

Synonyms

cant, canted, graded, inclined, leaning, listing, oblique, pitched, raked, slant, slanted, slantwise, sloped, sloping, tilted, tilting

Near Antonyms

horizontal, level; plumb, up-and-down, vertical; parallel, perpendicular

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

diagonal

noun

Definition of diagonal

1 :a diagonal straight line or plane

2 a (1) :a diagonal direction

(2) :a diagonal row, arrangement, or pattern

b :something oriented in diagonal position

3 :slash 4

— on the diagonal

:in an oblique direction :diagonally

See diagonal defined for English-language learners

Examples of diagonal in a Sentence

a design with strong diagonals
the ramp was set at a low diagonal to make it easier for physically challenged patrons

Recent Examples of diagonal from the Web

Use a sharp pencil and a straight edge to mark the diagonals on the end grain on the upper part of these blocks (the end nearest the 15/16-inch hole).

— james schadewald, Popular Mechanics, "Make Your Own Ice-Cream Maker," 4 Aug. 2017
Navara's 19.h4 envisaged the energetic idea of Bb1, creating serious threats on the b1-h7 diagonal and to further cramp Black with h5.

— michael ciamarra, AL.com, "National chess tournament won by Alabama player, local results and games," 4 Aug. 2017
Scenes are almost obnoxiously symmetrical, often structured by a face-on shot of a building, or prettily off-center and enlivened by diagonals and organic forms (a wayward path, a flower).

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "Kogonada’s spectacular "Columbus" is the John Cho vehicle we have been waiting for.," 2 Aug. 2017
Storage: 1TB 7,200rpm SATA hard drive, boosted by Intel Optane Memory Display: 27-inch (diagonal) 10-point touch 1920x1080 IPS display.

— melissa riofrio, PCWorld, "HP's Pavilion 27 is one of the first PCs with Intel Optane Memory," 25 July 2017
The pair added some quirky touches by using diagonals.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Mayflower condo offers modern amenities in historic part of Plymouth," 18 June 2017
In October 2015, McKay Brothers, a company that sells access to its microwave network to high-speed traders, leased land diagonal to the CME data center, under the name Pierce Broadband LLC, according to DuPage County property records.

— brian louis, Bloomberg.com, "Trading Fortunes Depend on a Mysterious Antenna in an Empty Field," 12 May 2017
Suddenly the entire band is racing with a high-speed shuffle step, dizzying the eye by going in two directions at once and changing speeds, and then forming eight long straight lines that re-form as diagonals.

— zack arias, Smithsonian, "March to the Joyous, Raucous Beat of the Sonic Boom of the South," 2 May 2017
Clark Street is a diagonal that only comes close to the park at its intersection with Addison near the iconic marquee, and may not be as much of a security risk as Addison.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs point to Fenway street closure in bid to close Clark, Addison on game days," 30 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of diagonal

1571

diagonal Synonyms

Synonyms

cant, slant, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, lean, pitch, rake, slope, tilt, upgrade

Related Words

ascent, bank, climb, rise

Near Antonyms

declension, declination, decline, declivity, descent, dip, downgrade, fall, hang, hanging, receding

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

DIAGONAL Defined for English Language Learners

diagonal

adjective

Definition of diagonal for English Language Learners

of a straight line : joining two opposite corners of a shape (such as a square or rectangle) especially by crossing the center point of the shape
: not going straight across or up and down

diagonal

noun

Definition of diagonal for English Language Learners

: a diagonal line, direction, or pattern

DIAGONAL Defined for Kids

diagonal

adjective di·ag·o·nal \ dī-ˈa-gə-nᵊl , -ˈag-nəl \

Definition of diagonal for Students

1 :running from one corner to the opposite corner of a four-sided shape (as a square)

a diagonal line

2 :running in a slanting direction

diagonal stripes

—

diagonally

\-nə-lē\ adverb

diagonal

noun

Definition of diagonal for Students

:a line, direction, or pattern that runs in a slanting direction

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See words that rhyme with diagonal Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for diagonal Spanish Central: Translation of diagonal Nglish: Translation of diagonal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of diagonal for Arabic speakers

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diagonal

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diagonal Synonyms

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diagonal

Definition of diagonal for English Language Learners

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