parallelogram
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- parallelogrammatic adjective
- parallelogrammatical adjective
Etymology
Origin of parallelogram
First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin parallēlogrammum, from Greek parallēlógrammon; equivalent to parallel + -o- + -gram 1
Compare meaning
How does parallelogram compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A parallelogram is a four-sided object that has parallel opposite sides. A square is a parallelogram. If you take the square and tilt it to one side, it’s still a parallelogram as long as its lines remain parallel. A parallelogram is a two-dimensional object that you might have already encountered in geometry class. You can recognize a parallelogram by its parallel opposite sides, and also by its opposite angles that are equal. Adjacent angles on a parallelogram always add up to 180 degrees. If the angles of a parallelogram are 90 degrees, then it’s straight up and down, like a square or a rectangle.
Vocabulary lists containing parallelogram
Geometry - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The ACT Math Test: Geometry, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Geometry - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
To build the lantern, the team began with a thin polymer sheet cut into a diamond-shaped parallelogram.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2025
For this step, in Schwartz’s 2021 paper, he incorrectly concluded that this shape was a parallelogram.
From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2023
Now, we have to get it square since at this point it’s probably a parallelogram, not a right rectangle!
From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2022
In this way, the four red corners of the parallelogram become a single point on the doughnut.
From Scientific American • Sep. 26, 2022
A child’s rubber slippers lay pigeon-toed in the bright parallelogram of barred sunlight on the floor.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
