Geometric

How to spell geometric

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce geometric

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does geometric mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to geometry, or characterised by regular shapes, straight lines, and precise angles.

Geometric in a sentence

• The wallpaper had a bold geometric pattern of triangles and squares.

• The architect favoured a clean geometric design for the office building.

Where does geometric come from?

Language of origin: Greek

The word traces back to the ancient Greek geometria, which literally meant 'measuring the earth', formed from ge meaning 'earth' and metron meaning 'a measure'. The name reflects its very practical origins: early surveyors used it to mark out land and re-establish field boundaries after the Nile's annual floods washed the markers away. From this came the adjective geometrikos, describing anything to do with that branch of mathematics. Latin adopted it as geometricus, and English took it up through French in the late 1500s. The 'geo' element survives in many familiar relatives such as geography and geology, and remembering that 'metr' means 'measure' (as in metre and thermometer) helps fix the spelling of the middle of the word.

How the word is built

• geo- (earth)
• metr (from metron: measure)
• -ic (adjective suffix)