triangular
Americanadjective
-
Also: trigonal. of, shaped like, or relating to a triangle; having three corners or sides
-
of or involving three participants, pieces, or units
-
maths having a base shaped like a triangle
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of triangular
1535–45; < Latin triangulāris, equivalent to triangul ( um ) triangle + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Anything that looks like a a shape with three sides and three angles is triangular. If you see a triangular fin in the ocean while you’re swimming, watch out! Shark! Start looking for triangular shapes and you'll begin to see them everywhere, from a triangular slice of pizza to a tortilla chip. Like triangle, triangular is rooted in the Latin tri-, "three," and angulus, "angle or corner." You'll also occasionally find this adjective describing things that involve three people, like a triangular relationship between three best friends.
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.
Burdge initially considered whether the repeating triangular signal might come from another black widow system.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Boasting breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, this gem is located on a triangular 0.4-acre oceanfront lot.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Because it protrudes at a slight angle, swells approaching from the south or southwest bounce off the jetty and mutate into triangular peaks—hence the spot’s name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office identified it as a human sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine, and submitted it to a state Department of Justice system of DNA samples.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
He spent his days at the corner of Calle San Cristóbal in Old San Juan, peeling oranges with his pocket knife and scooping out a triangular hole through which tourists could suck the sweet juice.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
