trigonometry

T1R1I1G2O1N1O1M3E1T1R1Y4
/ˌtɹɪɡəˈnɒmətɹi/

noun

The branch of mathematics that deals with the relationships between the sides and angles of (in particular) right-angled triangles, as represented by the trigonometric functions, and with calculations based on said relationships.

“Historically, trigonometry has been applied in areas such as geodesy, surveying, celestial mechanics and navigation.”

Similar
Less commonScrabble 18

Meanings

nountrigonometry (countable and uncountable, plural trigonometries)

plural trigonometries

  1. countableuncountablegeometryThe branch of mathematics that deals with the relationships between the sides and angles of (in particular) right-angled triangles, as represented by the trigonometric functions, and with calculations based on said relationships.

    Historically, trigonometry has been applied in areas such as geodesy, surveying, celestial mechanics and navigation.

    4 more examples

    Trigonometry emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BCE from applications of geometry to astronomy; the Greeks focused on the calculation of chords, while mathematicians in India created the earliest known tables of values for trigonometric functions such as sine.

    Trigonometry was originally the science which treated only of the sides and angles of plane and spherical triangles; but it has been recently extended so as to include the analytic treatment of all theorems involving the consideration of angular magnitudes.

    1892, Edward Albert Bowser, A Treatise on Plane and Spherical Trigonometry, D. C. Heath & Co., page 1

    In fact, the earliest practical uses of trigonometry were in the fields of astronomy and hence navigation.

    2013, Paul Abbott, Hugh Neill, Trigonometry: A Complete Introduction, Hachette, unnumbered page

    The properties of these new trigonometries and identities flowing from the definitions are then developed. The trigonometries derived from these generalizations will be jointly termed "The Fractional Trigonometry."

    2016, Carl F. Lorenzo, Tom T. Hartley, The Fractional Trigonometry, Wiley, page 8

    Synonyms: trig

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe branch of mathematics that deals with the relationships between the sides and angles of (in particular) right-angled triangles, as represented by the trigonometric functions, and with calculations based on said relationships.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe mathematics of triangles and trigonometric functions

Similar
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekτρίγωνον“triangle”
  2. New Latintrigōnometria
  3. Englishtrigonometry

PIE word *tréyes From 1610s, from New Latin trigōnometria, from Ancient Greek τρίγωνον (trígōnon, “triangle”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”), equivalent to trigono- + -metry.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic عِلْم اَلْمُثَلَثَات, عِلْم حِسَاب اَلْمُثَلَثَات
  • عِلْم اَلْمُثَلَثَات (ʕilm al-muṯalaṯāt)branch of mathematics
  • عِلْم حِسَاب اَلْمُثَلَثَات (ʕilm ḥisāb al-muṯalaṯāt)branch of mathematics
  • حِسَاب اَلْمُثَلَثَات (ḥisāb al-muṯalaṯāt)branch of mathematics
Basque trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Bengali ত্রিকোণমিতি
  • ত্রিকোণমিতি (trikōnmiti)branch of mathematics
Bulgarian тригономе́трия
  • тригономе́трия (trigonométrija)branch of mathematics
Catalan trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Chinese Mandarin 三角法, 三角學 /三角学
  • 三角法 (sānjiǎofǎ)branch of mathematics
  • 三角學 /三角学 (sānjiǎoxué)branch of mathematics
Czech trigonometrie
  • trigonometriebranch of mathematics
Danish trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Dutch trigonometrie, goniometrie
  • trigonometriebranch of mathematics
  • goniometriebranch of mathematics
  • driehoeksmeetkundebranch of mathematics
Esperanto trigonometrio
  • trigonometriobranch of mathematics
Estonian trigonomeetria
  • trigonomeetriabranch of mathematics
Finnish trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
French trigonométrie
  • trigonométriebranch of mathematics
German Trigonometrie
  • Trigonometriebranch of mathematics
Greek τριγωνομετρία
  • τριγωνομετρία (trigonometría)branch of mathematics
Hebrew טְרִיגוֹנוֹמֶטְרִיָּה
  • טְרִיגוֹנוֹמֶטְרִיָּה (trigonometriya)branch of mathematics
Hindi त्रिकोणमिति
  • त्रिकोणमिति (trikoṇmiti)branch of mathematics
Hungarian trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Icelandic hornafræði
  • hornafræðibranch of mathematics
Indonesian trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Irish triantánacht
  • triantánachtbranch of mathematics
Italian trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Japanese 三角法
  • 三角法 (sankakuhō)branch of mathematics
Korean 삼각법
  • 삼각법 (samgakbeop)branch of mathematics
Latin trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Latvian trigonometrija
  • trigonometrijabranch of mathematics
Lithuanian trigonometrija
  • trigonometrijabranch of mathematics
Malay trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Norwegian Bokmål trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Persian مثلثات
  • مثلثات (mosalasât)branch of mathematics
Polish trygonometria
  • trygonometriabranch of mathematics
Portuguese trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Romanian trigonometrie
  • trigonometriebranch of mathematics
Russian тригономе́трия
  • тригономе́трия (trigonométrija)branch of mathematics
Slovak trigonometria
  • trigonometriabranch of mathematics
Spanish trigonometría
  • trigonometríabranch of mathematics
Swedish trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Tagalog tatsihaan, trigonometriya
  • tatsihaanbranch of mathematics
  • trigonometriyabranch of mathematics
Tamil முக்கோணவியல், திரிகோணமிதி
  • முக்கோணவியல் (mukkōṇaviyal)branch of mathematics
  • திரிகோணமிதி (tirikōṇamiti)branch of mathematics
Thai ตรีโกณมิติ
  • ตรีโกณมิติ (dtrii-goon-mí-dtì)branch of mathematics
Turkish trigonometri
  • trigonometribranch of mathematics
Ukrainian тригономе́трія
  • тригономе́трія (tryhonométrija)branch of mathematics
Urdu مثلثیات
  • مثلثیات (musalsiyāt)branch of mathematics
Vietnamese lượng giác học, lượng giác
  • lượng giác họcbranch of mathematics
  • lượng giácbranch of mathematics
Welsh trigonometreg
  • trigonometregbranch of mathematics
Yiddish טריגאָנאָמעטריע
  • טריגאָנאָמעטריע (trigonometrye)branch of mathematics
Cite this entry
APA

trigonometry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trigonometry

MLA

“trigonometry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trigonometry. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trigonometry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trigonometry.

Source: trigonometry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.