Meaning & use
cubic
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Measured in units of volume, equal to a cube with sides of one unit.
Grammar: Used before a unit of length to show volume: cubic meter, cubic foot.
Patterns
- cubic unit
- cubic meter
- cubic foot
The tank holds 10 cubic meters of water.
The room's volume is about 150 cubic feet.
Concrete is sold by the cubic yard.
adjectivebefore a noun
Having the shape of a cube; three-dimensional with equal sides.
Grammar: Describes objects that are cube-shaped.
Patterns
- cubic shape
- cubic crystal
The artist created a large cubic sculpture.
Salt crystals often have a cubic form.
adjectivebefore a nounmathematics
In mathematics, relating to the third power of a number or variable.
Grammar: Used in math to describe expressions with an exponent of 3.
Patterns
- cubic equation
- cubic function
We solved a cubic equation in algebra class.
The volume of a cube is a cubic function of its side length.
Common combinations
- cubic meter
- The pool contains 50 cubic meters of water.
- cubic feet
- The refrigerator has 20 cubic feet of space.
- cubic equation
- The cubic equation has three roots.
- cubic capacity
- The engine's cubic capacity is 2.0 liters.
Synonyms and how they differ
- three-dimensional
- Describes any object with length, width, and height, not necessarily a cube or volume measurement.
Word family
- cube noun
- A solid shape with six equal square faces.
- cubical adjective
- Shaped like a cube; often used for small compartments.
- cubically adverb
- In a cubic manner or by cubic measurement.
Commonly confused: cubic or cubical?
cubic vs cubical
Cubical means shaped like a cube, while cubic often relates to volume measurement or the third power.
Practice
The volume of the container is 5 ______ meters.
Choose one answer.
Cubic meters measure volume. Square meters measure area, linear meters measure length, and cubical describes shape, not a unit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cubic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.