triangulate

1 of 2

verb

tri·​an·​gu·​late trī-ˈaŋ-gyə-ˌlāt 

triangulated; triangulating

transitive verb

1

: to survey, map, or determine by triangulation

2

a

: to divide into triangles

b

: to give triangular form to

triangulate

2 of 2

adjective

tri·​an·​gu·​late trī-ˈaŋ-gyə-lət 

: consisting of or marked with triangles

Examples of triangulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Kati did make several attempts to call for help — calls that ultimately helped authorities triangulate the family's whereabouts. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025

According to internet wisdom, this is the origin of the meme, including the necessary hand gesture, where you pantomime juggling as if deliberating between the two numbers, trying to triangulate some specific, perhaps divine, structure. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025

Adjective

According to the report, the agency’s sensors could be supplemented with crowdsourced data from apps; one example is Enigma, which uses algorithms to rate the credibility of people’s sightings and triangulate objects using video recordings. —Matthew Hutson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025

Running in a state Donald Trump carried, Gallego didn't try to tiptoe around culture wars or triangulate. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin triangulatus, past participle of triangulare to make triangles, from Latin triangulum

First Known Use

Verb

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1766, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for triangulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate