Pythagorean
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to Pythagoras
-
denoting the diatonic scale of eight notes arrived at by Pythagoras and based on a succession of fifths
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Pythagorean
1540–50; < Latin Pȳthagorē ( us ) (< Greek Pȳthagóreios of Pythagoras) + -an
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.
Overhead, a stylized starry sky—gold against deep blue—illustrates the Pythagorean idea of the music of the spheres.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
The Pythagorean theorem provides an equation to calculate the longer side of a right triangle by summing the squares of the other two sides.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 10, 2023
“Yeah, Pythagorean theorem,” Kelly cracked when asked what he had learned from his players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2022
That formula is known as the Pythagorean Winning Percentage.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
The secret he revealed shook the very foundations of the Pythagorean doctrine, but by considering the irrational an anomaly, the Pythagoreans could keep the irrationals from contaminating their view of the universe.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
