Meaning & use
triangular
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Shaped like a triangle, with three sides and three angles.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a triangular sign. Not usually used after a verb like 'be'.
Patterns
- triangular shape
- triangular face
- triangular sign
The roof of the house is triangular.
She cut the sandwich into triangular pieces.
The warning sign was a triangular shape with a red border.
adjectivenot comparable
Involving three people, groups, or countries.
Grammar: Often used before nouns like 'relationship' or 'agreement'.
Patterns
- triangular relationship
- triangular trade
- triangular agreement
The three companies formed a triangular partnership.
They have a triangular arrangement where each person reports to two others.
The history of triangular trade involved Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Common combinations
- triangular shape
- The kite had a triangular shape.
- triangular prism
- A triangular prism has two triangular bases.
- triangular relationship
- Their triangular relationship was complicated.
Synonyms and how they differ
- three-sided
- More literal and less common; 'triangular' is the usual word for shapes.
- trilateral
- Used for agreements or meetings involving three countries; more formal than 'triangular'.
Word family
- triangle noun
- A flat shape with three straight sides.
- triangulate verb
- To divide into triangles or determine a position using triangles.
Commonly confused: triangular or triangulated?
triangular vs triangulated
This is the past tense or adjective form of the verb 'triangulate', meaning divided into triangles or measured by triangles; 'triangular' simply describes the shape.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'triangular' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Triangular' is an adjective that comes before a noun: 'a triangular top'. 'Triangularly' is an adverb, so it cannot modify 'top' directly. 'A triangular' is wrong because it needs a noun after it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “triangular”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.