Origin: Latin suffix -ular
Angular has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
A bone in the base of the lower jaw of many birds, reptiles, and fishes.
"The surgeon carefully removed the fractured angular bone from the bird's lower jaw during the emergency surgery."
In plain English: An angular shape has sharp corners and straight edges instead of being round or smooth.
"The angular shape of the building caught everyone's eye."
Relating or pertaining to an angle or angles.
"The angular cut on the diamond's surface reflects light in sharp, geometric patterns."
In plain English: Angular means having sharp corners and straight edges instead of being round or smooth.
"The old house had an angular design with sharp corners and straight lines."
Usage: Use this adjective to describe shapes with sharp corners rather than curved edges, but avoid applying it to people unless referring specifically to their facial bone structure. It is often confused with "angled," though the latter implies a specific direction while angular emphasizes the presence of distinct vertices.
The word comes from the Latin angulus, meaning "corner," and entered English through Middle French as a term for something shaped like an angle or having corners. Its usage has remained consistent since its adoption into Middle English to describe objects with sharp points or edges.