rectangle

noun

rect·​an·​gle ˈrek-ˌtaŋ-gəl 

: 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

The striking latticework rectangles of Alila Uluwatu, an all-villa resort set high on a cliff on the Bukit Peninsula, has become an icon for contemporary Bali. —Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026

With four seven-day weeks beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday, February makes for a perfect rectangle on the standard Gregorian calendar. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026

Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. —Donna Gordon Blankinship, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. —Donna Gordon Blankinship, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026

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

Kids Definition

rectangle

noun

rect·​an·​gle ˈrek-ˌtaŋ-gəl 

: 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"