diagram

1 of 2

noun

di·​a·​gram ˈdī-ə-ˌgram How to pronounce diagram (audio)
1
: a graphic design that explains rather than represents
especially : a drawing that shows arrangement and relations (as of parts)
2
: a line drawing made for mathematical or scientific purposes
diagrammable adjective
diagrammatic adjective
or less commonly diagrammatical
diagrammatically adverb

diagram

2 of 2

verb

diagrammed or diagramed ˈdī-ə-ˌgramd How to pronounce diagram (audio) ; diagramming or diagraming ˈdī-ə-ˌgra-miŋ How to pronounce diagram (audio)

transitive verb

: to represent by or put into the form of a diagram
diagram a sentence
diagram a football play

Examples of diagram in a Sentence

Noun a diagram of the nervous system This diagram shows how the clock operates. Verb The coach diagrammed the new play on the blackboard. The students were required to diagram a sentence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Applicants must submit photos of their burrow, the overall tortoise enclosure, shade areas, placement of a water dish and access to food and a diagram of the enclosure with dimensions. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024 Visio Pro also connects to your other Microsoft data sources, such as Excel, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Power BI, to pull data sets and automatically generate or update diagrams. Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024 As illustrated by this simplified diagram of the human metabolome (where lines indicate chemical reactions and dots indicate reactants or products), your metabolic network is incredibly complex. Travis Nemkov, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024 The bright college student had lost her ability to write with proficiency, do mental arithmetic, name common objects, or copy a simple diagram. R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024 The filing’s diagrams show a handful of ways gestures could be interpreted, and used as a control method. Andrew Williams, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 These local pilots go through a rigorous selection process and apprenticeship – and tests such as drawing out the diagrams for their local ports – before handling small ships. Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024 Their engineering plans don’t include extra park space to the east of Grand or a pedestrian bridge like the one appearing in the Royals’ diagrams. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2024 Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 offers support for a wide range of diagram standards, including UML 2.5, IEEE, and BPMN 2.0. Stackcommerce Team, PCMAG, 16 Mar. 2024
Verb
In most classical schools, phonics reign, and students learn grammar by diagramming sentences. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Nevada called timeout and diagrammed a play for 6-foot-6 guard Kenan Blackshear to back down his defender in the lane and shoot a fade-away jumper. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2024 As the production team showed the replay of Solomon’s grab, Madden drew over a freeze-frame of the play, diagramming how Solomon sprung open. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Psychologists may claim to know, but there are no human feelings that can be easily diagrammed. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 26 Jan. 2024 With its 228 optical sensors, the observatory at Lake Baikal (diagrammed at left) looks for the debris created when a neutrino collides with a hydrogen or oxygen nucleus in the water: a shower of new particles that triggers a cone of bluish light. Anil Ananthaswamy, Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010 Coach Brian Dutcher had diagrammed a play for Micah Parrish that didn’t work, and the ball was inbounded to Aguek Arop instead. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2023 Opening the section is a tile from 17th-century Iznik, a major Ottoman ceramics center, that diagrams the Great Mosque in Mecca, with the Kaaba at its center. Vanessa H. Larson, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2023 Bridges even diagrammed specific military maneuvers to help ISIS kill the most U.S. troops. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 14 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'diagram.' 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

Noun

Greek diagramma, from diagraphein to mark out by lines, from dia- + graphein to write — more at carve

First Known Use

Noun

1619, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of diagram was in 1619

Dictionary Entries Near diagram

Cite this Entry

“Diagram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diagram. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

diagram

1 of 2 noun
di·​a·​gram ˈdī-ə-ˌgram How to pronounce diagram (audio)
: a drawing, sketch, plan, or chart that makes something clearer or easier to understand
diagrammatic adjective
also diagrammatical
diagrammatically adverb

diagram

2 of 2 verb
diagrammed or diagramed
-ˌgramd
; diagramming or diagraming
-ˌgram-iŋ
: to represent by or put into the form of a diagram
diagram a sentence
diagrammed a football play

More from Merriam-Webster on diagram

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