ENGLISH
REFERENCE

angle

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈæŋɡəɫ// UK //ˈæŋɡəl// an·gle Archaic General-service Informal Slang

n. the space between two lines that meet, or a specific way of looking at a problem. You can also use it to describe a secret plan to get what you want.

n. the space between two intersecting lines or surfaces at or close to the point where they meet; figuratively, a particular perspective or approach to a situation. In informal contexts, it refers to a specific, often devious, motive or plan.


SIMPLE

The carpenter measured the angle of the roof.

CONTEXTUAL

The journalist tried to find a fresh angle for the story to make it more interesting to readers.

COMPLEX

By adjusting the camera angle, the director managed to make the small room appear vast and imposing on screen.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin Anglus, in turn borrowed from a Germanic source (compare Old English Ængle/Engle (“Angle”)). Probably derived from the toponym Angle, related to Proto-Germanic *anguz "narrow, tight; tapering", either indicating the "narrow" water (i.e. the Schlei estuary), or the shape of the peninsula. Folk etymology linking the word to English angel or any antecedents is demonstrably false.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'from' when discussing a perspective ('from this angle').

Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference