Okuzeka
Mathematics vocabulary · Geometry

Parallel

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈpærəlel/adjectiveCore term

In mathematics, parallel means: Always the same distance apart and never meeting, however far they are extended; used of lines, planes and the sides of shapes.

In Turkish: paralel, koşut

How it is used

One line is parallel to another, and the symbol is ∥, as in AB ∥ CD. Parallel lines have equal slopes. Related words include 'perpendicular' (meeting at a right angle) and 'parallelogram'.

Example sentences

  1. Line AB is parallel to line CD, so the alternate angles are equal.

  2. Find the equation of the line parallel to y = 2x + 1 that passes through (0, 5).

Common collocations

  • parallel to
  • parallel lines
  • parallel sides
  • parallel and perpendicular
  • slopeA number that measures how steep a line is: the change in y divided by the change in x between any two points on the line.
  • angleThe amount of turn between two lines or rays that meet at a point, measured in degrees or radians.
  • linearRelated to a straight line; a linear equation or function has no power of the variable higher than 1, so its graph is a straight line.
  • similarHaving exactly the same shape but not necessarily the same size, so that corresponding angles are equal and corresponding sides are in the same ratio.

More terms: Geometry

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