diagonally
adv.adv. at an angle that is not straight up, down, or across. You use this to describe something that goes from one corner of a shape to the opposite corner.
adv. at an angle that is not parallel to the sides of a figure or object. Often describes movement or placement across a surface or space.
The cat ran diagonally across the room.
The carpenter cut the wood diagonally to create a more stable base for the shelf.
The architect designed the building so that the main entrance faces diagonally toward the park, creating a dynamic visual relationship with the surrounding landscape.
From Middle English diagonaly, modeled on Medieval Latin diagōnāliter; equivalent to diagonal + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Adjectivediagonal
- Adverbdiagonally
Last updated May 18, 2026