two-dimensional
Americanadjective
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having the dimensions of height and width only.
a two-dimensional surface.
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(of a work of art) having its elements organized in terms of a flat surface, especially emphasizing the vertical and horizontal character of the picture plane.
the two-dimensional structure of a painting.
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(in a literary work) shallow, unconvincing, or superficial in execution.
a novel having two-dimensional characters.
adjective
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of, having, or relating to two dimensions, usually describable in terms of length and breadth or length and height
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lying on a plane; having an area but not enclosing any volume
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lacking in depth, as characters in a literary work
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(of painting or drawing) lacking the characteristics of form or depth
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of two-dimensional
First recorded in 1895–1900
Explanation
Two-dimensional things are flat — they can be measured in length and width, but they have no depth. Geometrical shapes like squares, circles, and polygons are all two-dimensional. A sheet of paper may seem to be two-dimensional, but because it does have a measurable (if tiny) depth, it's actually three-dimensional. Your dog is also three-dimensional, but a picture of him on your computer screen is two-dimensional. You can also use this mathematical adjective to mean "superficial," or "shallow." A bad guy in a movie might be described as a two-dimensional character, for example, since he seems to have "no depth."
Vocabulary lists containing two-dimensional
Geometry - Introductory
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Geometry - Middle School
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Geometry - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their findings, published in Science Advances in the paper "Manipulating the direction of turbulent energy flux via tensor geometry in a two-dimensional flow," could have implications for medicine, coastal management, and climate science.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
The international project brought together researchers from Australia, China, Singapore, Germany, and Japan, combining expertise in nanophotonics, two-dimensional materials, and optoelectronics.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
GTA I and II in the late 1990s were much simpler, two-dimensional affairs with a top-down perspective.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Like Mr. Drew’s paper-pulp works, they are a reminder that prints can be as innovative a medium as any other, and aren’t limited to the two-dimensional realm.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Imagine a universe just like Flatland, except that unbeknownst to the inhabitants, their two-dimensional universe is curved through a third physical dimension.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
