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

• obliques
  plural

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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• obliques
  plural

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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)

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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

See Examples For:

oblique obliques obliqued obliquing

The elliptical and oblique aspects are made to be dissected by chat groups; meme-worthy images get endlessly recycled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Mostly, though, the film is oblique commentary on the kinds of issues the columnists are always writing about—a perceived loss of societal trust, demonization of out-groups, and increased geographical sorting by ideology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Though many critics and historians have tried, it’s impossible to get to the true root of a work as oblique as “Possession.”

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Some of the content is oblique -- vendors often post images of animals or parts for sale without any price or explanation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

And she grinned, delighted at what she took to be an oblique compliment.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

The obliques are muscles that span from the ribs to the pelvis and help the body’s ability to bend and rotate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

For just $2,599, this sleek and sturdy item offers users plate-loaded core training in a seated position, and a swivel seat to easily transition to targeting your obliques.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023

“Hopefully it’s a short stint, but obliques are tricky,” manager Kevin Cash said.

From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2019

They didn’t have to cut through the muscle tissue in his obliques to remove his appendix, and the morning after the surgery, Olsen was back on his feet and texting teammates with encouraging news.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2018

Great waves were rolling along and across the slender reef in wide obliques and beating themselves to death in the lagoon, or sweeping out of it again seaward at its more northern end.

From Strong Hearts by George Washington Cable

The eyes, as already observed, obliqued strongly downwards.

From The Quadroon Adventures in the Far West by Mayne Reid

They were moving toward us, so we obliqued toward them, with our shadows cast long by the low sun.

From Pluck on the Long Trail Boy Scouts in the Rockies by Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand) Sabin

In doing this we obliqued to the southwest to escape a heavy fire now reaching us from the north and the quicker to get protection from the rolling ground.

From A Historic Sketch Lest We Forget Company E 26th Ohio Infantry by Walden Kelly

Then two others obliqued out to the right and left until nearly as a great a distance on the flanks.

From To The Front A Sequel to Cadet Days by Charles King

Broke into column of companies to the left, changed direction to the right, obliqued to the left, moved forward and formed "front into line, faced to the rear."

From The Colored Cadet at West Point Autobiography of Lieut. Henry Ossian Flipper, first graduate of color from the U. S. Military Academy by Henry Ossian Flipper

Then the three first sides of our square, the second and the third obliquing to the right and left fired.

From The Conscript A Story of the French war of 1813 by Erckmann-Chatrian

If at half step or mark time while obliquing, the oblique march is resumed by the commands: 1 Oblique, 2.

From Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army of the United States 1917 to be also used by Engineer Companies (Mounted) for Cavalry Instruction and Training by U. S. War Department

The path was but a ledge, which, after running fifty yards in a direct line, made an abrupt double back in the opposite direction, all the while obliquing downwards.

From The Free Lances A Romance of the Mexican Valley by Mayne Reid

They keep Canal, obliquing to that side of the way farthest from the balconies-- "To make room," cries Victorine, "to form line pritty soon off horses, in front those cannon'."

From Kincaid's Battery by Alonzo Kimball

When my brigade had moved far around upon the left, and had taken position, obliquing toward the enemy's rear, it suddenly opened.

From History of Morgan's Cavalry by Basil Wilson Duke

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