# rectangle

/ˈɹɛktæŋɡəɫ/ (US) · /ɹˈɛktæŋɡəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rectangle
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. geometric shape

noun · CEFR A2

a shape with four straight sides and four 90-degree corners (right angles).

For teachers: a quadrilateral with four right angles. While geometrically a square is a type of rectangle, in general discourse the term usually refers to non-equilateral quadrilaterals.

- The teacher asked the children to draw a rectangle and color it blue.
- The architect designed the floor plan as a series of interlocking rectangles to maximize the available natural light in the office spaces.

### 2. right angle

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

an old word for a 90-degree corner.

For teachers: a right angle. This sense is restricted to historical or highly specialized mathematical texts.

- In the old book, the author used the word rectangle to mean a square corner.
- The seventeenth-century manuscript describes the intersection of the two lines as forming a perfect rectangle.

## Examples

- The computer screen is a large rectangle.
- The architect drew a perfect rectangle to represent the floor plan of the new office building.
- While every square is technically a rectangle, the term is most frequently used to describe four-sided polygons where the length and width are unequal.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.