English Reference

Word

hexagonal

Phoneticshexag·o·nal

US/hɛkˈsæɡənəɫ/

UK/hɛksˈæɡənəl/

Definition

adj. having six sides or angles. You use this to describe shapes like honeycombs or the structure of some crystals.

adj. having six sides or angles; relating to a polygon with six equal sides and angles.

Examples

“The honeycomb is made of many hexagonal cells.”

“The architect designed the building with hexagonal windows to maximize the amount of natural light entering the interior.”

“In many natural systems, the hexagonal shape is the most efficient way to pack material together, minimizing the amount of space between individual units while maintaining structural integrity.”

Examples

simple

“The honeycomb is made of many hexagonal cells.”

contextual

“The architect designed the building with hexagonal windows to maximize the amount of natural light entering the interior.”

complex

“In many natural systems, the hexagonal shape is the most efficient way to pack material together, minimizing the amount of space between individual units while maintaining structural integrity.”

Real-World Examples

“The dark, hexagonal tiles on Starship’s exterior make up the spacecraft’s heat shield.”
The Conversation · 29 Sept 2026
“Under usual, everyday conditions, carbon atoms exist as stacks of hexagonal sheets, but extreme pressure and heat rearrange them to form diamonds.”
The Conversation · 3 Aug 2026

Etymology

From hexagon + -al. Piecewise doublet of sexagonal.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

hexagonNounhexagonalAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/hexagonal

English Reference