Meaning & use

parallel

adjective·Academic

Describing straight lines in the same plane that never meet, however far they extend.

See it in a sentence

Opposite sides of a rectangle are parallel.

Draw a line parallel to the bottom edge of the page.

A note on using this word

Use parallel to. For straight lines, being in the same plane matters: some lines in three-dimensional space never meet but are not parallel.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “parallel”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.