oblique

American  

[uh-bleek, oh-bleek, uh-blahyk, oh-blahyk] / əˈblik, oʊˈblik, əˈblaɪk, oʊˈblaɪk /

adjective

1. neither perpendicular nor parallel to a given line or surface; slanting; sloping.

2. (of a solid) not having the axis perpendicular to the plane of the base.

3. diverging from a given straight line or course.

4. not straight or direct, as a course.

5. indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward.

   oblique remarks about the candidate's honesty.

   Synonyms:

   covert, masked, veiled, indirect

6. indirectly aimed at or reached, as ends or results; deviously achieved.

   Synonyms:

   covert, masked, veiled, indirect

7. morally, ethically, or mentally wrong; underhand; perverse.

8. Typography. (of a letter) slanting toward the right, as a form of sans-serif, gothic, or square-serif type.

9. Rhetoric. indirect (applied to discourse in which the original words of a speaker or writer are assimilated to the language of the reporter).

10. Anatomy. pertaining to muscles running obliquely in the body as opposed to those running transversely or longitudinally.

11. Botany. having unequal sides, as a leaf.

12. Grammar. noting or pertaining to any case of noun inflection except nominative and vocative.

    Latin genitive, dative, accusative, and ablative cases are said to be oblique.

13. Drafting. designating a method of projection oblique projection in which a three-dimensional object is represented by a drawing oblique drawing in which the face, usually parallel to the picture plane, is represented in accurate or exact proportion, and all other faces are shown at any convenient angle other than 90°.

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adverb

1. Military. at an angle of 45°.

verb (used without object)

obliqued, obliquing

1. Military. to change direction obliquely.

noun

1. something that is oblique.

2. Grammar. an oblique case.

3. Anatomy. any of several oblique muscles, especially in the walls of the abdomen.

oblique British  

/ əˈbliːk /

adjective

1. at an angle; slanting; sloping

2. geometry

   1. (of lines, planes, etc) neither perpendicular nor parallel to one another or to another line, plane, etc

   2. not related to or containing a right angle

3. indirect or evasive

4. grammar denoting any case of nouns, pronouns, etc, other than the nominative and vocative

5. biology having asymmetrical sides or planes

   an oblique leaf

6. (of a map projection) constituting a type of zenithal projection in which the plane of projection is tangential to the earth's surface at some point between the equator and the poles

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noun

1. something oblique, esp a line

2. another name for solidus

3. nautical the act of changing course by less than 90°

4. an aerial photograph taken at an oblique angle

verb

1. to take or have an oblique direction

2. (of a military formation) to move forward at an angle

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subobliqueness
  noun
• suboblique
  adjective
• subobliquely
  adverb
• obliqueness
  noun
• obliquely
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of oblique

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English oblike, from Latin oblīquus “slanting,” of uncertain origin; perhaps ob- ob- + a second element perhaps akin to licinus “bent, turned upward” or līmus “askew, aslant” ( see also limb)

Explanation

If something is oblique, it has a slanting position or direction. In figurative use, oblique means indirect or purposely misleading. "What is two plus two?" "Fish!" as an answer is completely oblique. In math, this adjective refers to geometric lines or planes that are not parallel or perpendicular to a line or surface. A playground is positioned at an oblique angle to the ground. By correcting the clerk's "Mrs." with "That's Ms. now," the woman made an oblique reference to her change in marital status.

Example Sentences

Hernández said he initially tweaked his oblique before his season debut, during batting practice Monday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

France has vowed to abandon the so‑called "Francafrique" strategy, under which Paris sought to keep francophone Africa under its thumb through political collusion, exclusive access for French businesses and oblique financial deals, including graft.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

He rushed back from a Grade 2 left oblique strain in time to play in the Lakers’ first-round series but has struggled to find his rhythm after a month-long absence.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Their two best players sustained regular-season ending injuries, with news of Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain coming on consecutive days after the loss.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

A battle followed, fought in true Gilded Age fashion with oblique snubs and poisonous courtesy.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• backhanded
• vague