What does "diagonal" mean?
A line joining non-adjacent vertices of a polygon.
Diagonal
/daɪˈæɡənəl/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A line joining non-adjacent vertices of a polygon.
- Grammar: diagonal is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: slash, across, air line, airline.
- Useful contrasts: backslash, edge, face diagonal.
- Usage evidence: Cut the cloth in a diagonal direction.
How to use "diagonal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "diagonal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "diagonal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "diagonal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "diagonal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "diagonal" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "slash" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "diagonal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A line joining non-adjacent vertices of a polygon.
- 2 a punctuation mark (‘/’) used to separate related items of information wordnet
- 3 Anything forming or resembling such a line; A line or plane at an oblique angle to another.
- 4 (mathematics) a set of entries in a square matrix running diagonally either from the upper left to lower right entry or running from the upper right to lower left entry wordnet
- 5 Anything forming or resembling such a line; A line or cut across a fabric at an oblique angle to its sides.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 an oblique line of squares of the same color on a checkerboard wordnet
- 7 Anything forming or resembling such a line; Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩. uncommon
"Initial inquiries among professional typists uncover names like slant, slant line, slash, and slash mark. Examination of typing instruction manuals discloses additional names such as diagonal and diagonal mark, and other sources provide the designation oblique."
- 8 a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric wordnet
- 9 (geometry) a straight line connecting any two vertices of a polygon that are not adjacent wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron). not-comparable
- 2 Having slanted or oblique lines or markings. not-comparable
- 3 Having a slanted or oblique direction. not-comparable
"The visitors' undoing was caused by a diagonal ball from the right which was nodded into the six-yard area by Ian Evatt and finished off by Campbell."
- 4 Of or related to the cater-corner (diagonally opposite) legs of a quadruped, whether the front left and back right or front right and back left. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 having an oblique or slanted direction wordnet
- 2 connecting two nonadjacent corners of a plane figure or any two corners of a solid that are not in the same face wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A city and town in Iowa.
Antonyms
Example
"Cut the cloth in a diagonal direction."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "diagonal"?
Common synonyms include: slash, across, air line, airline, angled, aslant.
How do you use "diagonal" in a sentence?
Cut the cloth in a diagonal direction.
How do you pronounce "diagonal"?
Pronounced /daɪˈæɡənəl/.
Etymology
From Middle French diagonal, from Latin diagōnālis, from Ancient Greek διαγώνιος (diagṓnios, “from angle to angle”), from διά (diá, “across”) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle”).