diagonal

American  

[dahy-ag-uh-nl, -ag-nl] / daɪˈæg ə nl, -ˈæg nl /

adjective

1. Mathematics.

   1. connecting two nonadjacent angles or vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, as a straight line.

   2. extending from one edge of a solid figure to an opposite edge, as a plane.

2. having an oblique direction.

3. having oblique lines, ridges, markings, etc.

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noun

1. a diagonal line or plane.

2. virgule.

3. a diagonal row, part, pattern, etc.

4. Manège. (of a horse at a trot) the foreleg and the hind leg, diagonally opposite, which move forward simultaneously.

5. diagonal cloth.

6. Mathematics. a set of entries in a square matrix running either from upper left to lower right main diagonal, or principal diagonal or lower left to upper right secondary diagonal.

7. Chess. one of the oblique lines of squares on a chessboard.

   He advanced his bishop along the open diagonal.

diagonal British  

/ daɪˈæɡənəl /

adjective

1. maths connecting any two vertices that in a polygon are not adjacent and in a polyhedron are not in the same face

2. slanting; oblique

3. marked with slanting lines or patterns

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noun

1. maths a diagonal line or plane

2. chess any oblique row of squares of the same colour

3. cloth marked or woven with slanting lines or patterns

4. something put, set, or drawn obliquely

5. another name for solidus

6. one front leg and the hind leg on the opposite side of a horse, which are on the ground together when the horse is trotting

diagonal Scientific  

/ dī-ăg′ə-nəl /

1. Connecting two nonadjacent corners in a polygon or two nonadjacent corners in a polyhedron that do not lie in the same face.

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1. A diagonal line segment.

Other Word Forms

• diagonally adverb
• nondiagonal adjective
• nondiagonally adverb

Etymology

Origin of diagonal

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin diagōnālis, from Greek diagṓn(ios) “from angle to angle” + Latin -ālis adjective suffix; dia-, -gon, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Giant anteaters have black and white diagonal stripes, dense shaggy hair and super-sized snouts.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Mary, her right arm extended toward Christ in a gesture of farewell or a reference to heaven above, forms part of a diagonal cutting across the painting that adds more dynamism to the drama.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

"My work presents a new three-dimensional model for the magnetic field reversal. From Earth, this would appear as the diagonal that we observe in the data," Booth explains.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

She was holding a cup of coffee and a homemade turkey sandwich — white bread, cut on the diagonal, slathered with Kewpie mayo and layered with lettuce — tucked into a brown paper bag.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

Knotted around his neck is his only tie, maroon with yellow stripes on the diagonal.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• crosswise
• oblique
• slanted