geometric

American  

[jee-uh-me-trik] / ˌdʒi əˈmɛ trɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to geometry or to the principles of geometry.

2. resembling or employing the simple rectilinear or curvilinear lines or figures used in geometry.

3. of or relating to painting, sculpture, or ornamentation of predominantly geometric characteristics.

4. (often initial capital letter)

   1. pertaining to or designating a style of vase painting developed in Greece between the 10th and 8th centuries b.c., characterized chiefly by rectilinear or curvilinear shapes in abstract and human figuration, often arranged in tiers or panels around the vase.

   2. designating a style of Greek sculpture of approximately the same period, exemplified chiefly in small figurines or reliefs having a schematic and generalized treatment of the human form.

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noun

1. a geometric pattern, design, etc..

   an ornate and handsome geometric.

geometric British  

/ ˌdʒɪəˈmɛtrɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or following the methods and principles of geometry

2. consisting of, formed by, or characterized by points, lines, curves, or surfaces

   a geometric figure

3. (of design or ornamentation) composed predominantly of simple geometric forms, such as circles, rectangles, triangles, etc

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Other Word Forms

• geometrically adverb
• nongeometric adjective
• nongeometrical adjective
• nongeometrically adverb
• semigeometric adjective
• semigeometrical adjective
• semigeometrically adverb
• subgeometric adjective
• subgeometrical adjective
• subgeometrically adverb
• ungeometric adjective
• ungeometrical adjective
• ungeometrically adverb

Etymology

Origin of geometric

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin geōmetricus, from Greek geōmetrikós, from geométr(ēs) ( geometer + -ikos -ic

Explanation

Use the adjective geometric to describe anything that's decorated with simple shapes and lines. The geometric design of your new wallpaper, with its repeated triangles, makes your room look really sophisticated. In math, geometric refers to geometry — any calculations involving the angles of a polygon or the diameter of a circle are geometric. The Greek root is geometria, "measurement of earth or land." The math definition of geometric is its original meaning, dating to the early 17th century. It wasn't until 1900 that the adjective was first used to describe a design style — specifically, a type of Greek pottery decoration characterized by lines and angles.

Example Sentences

The new wing was designed by Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas with Cooper Robertson, and has the geometric look of angular mesh enveloping an open stair case, elevator shafts and display spaces.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

She uses it to make anything from trinket boxes to ornate geometric vases to statuettes of quizzical creatures.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

He also paid for windows with geometric designs rather than traditional figurative scenes, in line with Islamic rulings against the drawings of creatures.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

The bare-legged dancers sport various hard-edged, geometric designs on their sleek costumes, designed by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

Zero was a number that didn’t seem to make any geometric sense, so to include it, the Greeks would have had to revamp their entire way of doing mathematics.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• geometrical