rectangular

adjective

rect·​an·​gu·​lar rek-ˈtaŋ-gyə-lər 

1

: shaped like a rectangle

a rectangular area

2

a

: crossing, lying, or meeting at a right angle

rectangular axes

b

: having edges, surfaces, or faces that meet at right angles : having faces or surfaces shaped like rectangles

rectangular parallelepipeds

a rectangular solid

rectangularity

(ˌ)rek-ˌtaŋ-gyə-ˈler-ə-tē 

-ˈla-rə-tē

noun

rectangularly

rek-ˈtaŋ-gyə-lər-lē 

adverb

Examples of rectangular in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jump hour wristwatches, particularly those in rectangular cases, resurfaced during the Deco period in keeping with the era’s appetite for minimal, geometric design. —Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2026

Hanging directly on the wall, Particoloured Heideggerianism, 2022, for example, appears notably painting-like as its almost rectilinear outer frame of rectangular tubing wraps around a central high-gloss chartreuse cylinder mounted on a horizonal bar in the same color but in a matte finish. —Gordon Hughes, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

The central room features a world map made of red glass balls, ignoring political borders and using the Gall-Peters rectangular, equal-area map projection to challenge traditional power dynamics in cartography. —Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026

The base itself is a rectangular cake carrier, and includes an egg insert. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rectangular

• rectangular coordinate

Rhymes for rectangular

• quadrangular
• subangular
• triangular
• angular
• subtriangular

Kids Definition

rectangular

adjective

rect·​an·​gu·​lar rek-ˈtaŋ-gyə-lər 

1

: shaped like a rectangle

a rectangular building

2

: having edges, faces, or surfaces that meet at right angles : having faces or surfaces shaped like rectangles

a rectangular solid

rectangular blocks