1
: an instrument having at least one right angle and two straight edges used especially to lay out or test right angles
2
: a rectangle with all four sides equal
3
: any of the quadrilateral spaces marked out on a board for playing games
4
: the product of a number multiplied by itself
5
a
: an open place or area formed at the meeting of two or more streets
b
6
: a solid object or piece approximating a cube or having a square as its largest face
7
: an unopened cotton flower with its enclosing bracts
8
: a person who is conventional or conservative in taste or way of life
9
: a square meal
ate three squares a day
squarer; squarest
1
a
: having four equal sides and four right angles
b
: forming a right angle
square corner
c
: having a square base
a square pyramid
2
: raised to the second power
3
a
: being approximately a cube
square cabinet
b
: having a shape that is broad for the height and rectangular rather than curving in outline
square shoulders
a square, thick, hard-working man—
Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth
c
: rectangular and equilateral in section
square tower
4
a
: being or converted to a unit of area equal in measure to a square each side of which measures one unit of a specified unit of length
a square foot
see Metric System Table, Weights and Measures Table
b
: being of a specified length in each of two equal dimensions
10 feet square
5
a
: exactly adjusted : precisely constructed or aligned
c
: leaving no balance : settled
e
: substantial, satisfying
square meal
f
: being unsophisticated, conservative, or conventional
6
: set at right angles with the mast and keel
—used of the yards of a square-rigged ship
squareness
noun
squared; squaring
1
a
: to make square or rectangular
square a building stone
b
: to test for deviation from a right angle, straight line, or plane surface
2
: to bring approximately to a right angle
squared his shoulders
3
a
: to multiply (a number) by itself : raise to the second power
b
: to find a square equal in area to
square a circle
4
: to regulate or adjust by or to some standard or principle
square our actions by the opinions of others—John Milton
John Milton6
: to mark off into squares
1
: to agree precisely : correspond
your actions should square with your words
2
: to settle matters
especially
: to pay the bill
squarer
noun
1
: in a straightforward or honest manner
2
a
: so as to face or be face-to-face
b
: at right angles
3
: with nothing intervening : directly
ran square into it
4
: in a firm manner
looked her square in the eye
5
: in a square shape
Synonyms
Examples of square in a Sentence
Noun
The fabric is decorated with circles and squares.
Cut the brownies into squares.
The board has red and black squares.
Adjective
The room has four square corners.
received a square hearing from the disciplinary panel
Verb
The machine squares the wood into flat boards.
If you square 3, you get 9.
Recent Examples on the WebJocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The hotel's Belgravia location is a desirable address, with Georgian estate terraces, crescents and squares, situated between Knightsbridge and Victoria.
—Stacey Wreathall, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Those who have forgotten might take a walk over to the Gendarmenmarkt, a grand central square now gashed by construction barriers, and its monumental statue of a German playwright and philosopher with a rather subtler understanding of how culture and government inform each other.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Where others see a square, Mancuso might also hear a B note; the letter A will always be terracotta to him, and so on.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The nail sets come in four shapes: stiletto, coffin, square and almond with a range of sizes from short to XXL.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Host Terry Crews walked the red carpet in a black suit with silver accents and a green pocket square.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Beside him, Caro cut a careful square of roast beef, looking highly pleased with herself.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024
The home, completed in 2019, has four bedrooms in about 4,500 square feet.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024
At the time of the deal, 99 Cents Only had the second-highest profit margin and the most sales per square foot among its rivals, Bloomberg reported.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Jonesboro will be the home of a new Amazon last-mile facility spanning 58,000 square feet, according to city development officials.
—Dylan Sherman, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s where a looming real estate deal at Gallery Place came into play — the 260,000 square feet of retail that was once a bustling mall anchored by a Bed, Bath and Beyond and a movie theater, plus underground parking and office space.
—Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Overall, the building will have six floors plus a basement and span 200,000 square feet.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
The $1,700,000 purchase price works out to $1,136 per square foot.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, festival signage is made from wood so it can be reused, while thousands of square feet of plastic banners at stages are taken by upcycling company Rewilder after the event wraps and sewn into tote bags and backpacks sold at the following year’s merchandise stand.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024
Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
Luna then squares independent Uranus, so the most obvious solutions may involve upsetting others’ expectations.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
To square this circle, the world is going to have to embrace multi-party computation, argues Silence Laboratories, which is today announcing the completion of a $4.1 million funding round.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
On another day, his first innings five-wicket haul would have squared the series.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Children’s body mass index — imperfect as the measurement is — is calculated in the same way (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), but the threshold for obesity is not a BMI of 30 or above.
—Andrea Kane, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024
Sister-sister, squared: Point Loma has two sets of sisters, Nanako and Ryoko Schroth and Avery and Leyton McPherson.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
As the nervous Moon in your finance zone squares individualistic Uranus in your expressive 5th house, your first impulse might be to go wild.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
The point man spotted Clifford cutting to the right of the lane and the latter laid it in, squaring the score again at 64 apiece.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2024
Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Sep. 2023
The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver didn’t brake soon enough and ran square into the back of Kyle Kirkwood, demolishing his rear wing.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 June 2023
Behind them both and running in 17th at the time, Kyle Kirkwood ran square into the back of Harvey's No. 30 Honda and went fully airborne.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2023
The largest contact came as AJ Foyt Racing rookie Benjamin Pedersen flew into the frame and ran square into the side of DeFrancesco and sent him airborne and spinning 180 degrees around.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2023
The star accessorized with square-toed heels and Jacquie Aiche jewelry.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2023
Similar to a circle but with a sharper jawline is the square-shaped face.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2022
Indeed, Sunni Sunni’s styles, including square-toed mules with bold chain hardware and colorful heeled boots with python-print embossing, are available in a full range of men’s and women’s sizing.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022
Trapani said Schild exited the backyard through a side gate and charged at officers while holding a metal framing square over his head.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
Noun
Baklava is then cut into diamonds or squares before baking in the oven.
—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The hotel's Belgravia location is a desirable address, with Georgian estate terraces, crescents and squares, situated between Knightsbridge and Victoria.
—Stacey Wreathall, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024
Those who have forgotten might take a walk over to the Gendarmenmarkt, a grand central square now gashed by construction barriers, and its monumental statue of a German playwright and philosopher with a rather subtler understanding of how culture and government inform each other.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Where others see a square, Mancuso might also hear a B note; the letter A will always be terracotta to him, and so on.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The nail sets come in four shapes: stiletto, coffin, square and almond with a range of sizes from short to XXL.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Host Terry Crews walked the red carpet in a black suit with silver accents and a green pocket square.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
Beside him, Caro cut a careful square of roast beef, looking highly pleased with herself.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
Adjective
But today, the two program nearly 50,000 square feet across Newark.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 11 Apr. 2024
The home, completed in 2019, has four bedrooms in about 4,500 square feet.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024
At the time of the deal, 99 Cents Only had the second-highest profit margin and the most sales per square foot among its rivals, Bloomberg reported.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Jonesboro will be the home of a new Amazon last-mile facility spanning 58,000 square feet, according to city development officials.
—Dylan Sherman, arkansasonline.com, 11 Apr. 2024
That’s where a looming real estate deal at Gallery Place came into play — the 260,000 square feet of retail that was once a bustling mall anchored by a Bed, Bath and Beyond and a movie theater, plus underground parking and office space.
—Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Overall, the building will have six floors plus a basement and span 200,000 square feet.
—Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
The $1,700,000 purchase price works out to $1,136 per square foot.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024
Elsewhere, festival signage is made from wood so it can be reused, while thousands of square feet of plastic banners at stages are taken by upcycling company Rewilder after the event wraps and sewn into tote bags and backpacks sold at the following year’s merchandise stand.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
Luna then squares independent Uranus, so the most obvious solutions may involve upsetting others’ expectations.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
To square this circle, the world is going to have to embrace multi-party computation, argues Silence Laboratories, which is today announcing the completion of a $4.1 million funding round.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
On another day, his first innings five-wicket haul would have squared the series.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Children’s body mass index — imperfect as the measurement is — is calculated in the same way (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), but the threshold for obesity is not a BMI of 30 or above.
—Andrea Kane, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024
Sister-sister, squared: Point Loma has two sets of sisters, Nanako and Ryoko Schroth and Avery and Leyton McPherson.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
As the nervous Moon in your finance zone squares individualistic Uranus in your expressive 5th house, your first impulse might be to go wild.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024
The point man spotted Clifford cutting to the right of the lane and the latter laid it in, squaring the score again at 64 apiece.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2024
Adverb
On Lap 36, Power spun Benjamin Pedersen rounding the final corner after the race had restarted, and Castroneves ran square into the A.J. Foyt Racing car.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Sep. 2023
The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver didn’t brake soon enough and ran square into the back of Kyle Kirkwood, demolishing his rear wing.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 June 2023
Behind them both and running in 17th at the time, Kyle Kirkwood ran square into the back of Harvey's No. 30 Honda and went fully airborne.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2023
The largest contact came as AJ Foyt Racing rookie Benjamin Pedersen flew into the frame and ran square into the side of DeFrancesco and sent him airborne and spinning 180 degrees around.
—Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2023
The star accessorized with square-toed heels and Jacquie Aiche jewelry.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2023
Similar to a circle but with a sharper jawline is the square-shaped face.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2022
Indeed, Sunni Sunni’s styles, including square-toed mules with bold chain hardware and colorful heeled boots with python-print embossing, are available in a full range of men’s and women’s sizing.
—New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022
Trapani said Schild exited the backyard through a side gate and charged at officers while holding a metal framing square over his head.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'square.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French esquarre, from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, from *exquadrare to square, from Latin ex- + quadrare to square — more at quadrate
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Adverb
circa 1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of square was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing square
Articles Related to square
Dictionary Entries Near square
Cite this Entry
“Square.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/square. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
square
1 of 4 noun
ˈskwa(ə)r 
ˈskwe(ə)r
1
: an instrument having at least one right angle and two straight edges used to draw or test right angles
2
: a rectangle with all four sides equal
3
: any of the four-sided spaces marked out on a board for playing games
4
: the product of a number multiplied by itself
4 is the square of 2
5
a
: an open place or area formed at the meeting of two or more streets
square
2 of 4 adjective
squarer; squarest
1
a
: having four equal sides and four right angles
a square piece of paper
b
: forming a right angle
a square corner
c
: having a square base
a square pyramid
2
a
: being approximately a cube
a square cabinet
b
: of a shape suggesting strength and toughness
a square jaw
square shoulders
c
: having the shape of a square as its cross section
a square tower
3
a
: being a unit of area that has the shape of a square and sides of a specified unit length
a square foot
b
: being of a specified length in each of two equal dimensions
10 feet square
4
a
: exactly adjusted : well made
b
: just entry 1 sense 2a, fair
a square deal
c
: leaving no balance : settled
d
: being tied in score
the golfers were all square after five holes
e
: large enough to satisfy
three square meals a day
5
: not knowing or following the latest styles
squareness
noun
square
3 of 4 verb
squared; squaring
1
: to form with right angles, straight edges, and flat surfaces : make square or rectangular
square a timber
2
: to bring to a right angle
squared his shoulders
3
a
: to multiply (a number) by itself : to raise (a number) to the second power
b
: to find a square equal in area to
square a circle
4
: to agree or make agree
his story does not square with the facts
5
: balance entry 2 sense 1, settle
square an account
6
: to mark off into squares
7
: bribe entry 2, fix
8
: to take a fighting stance
the two squared off
square
4 of 4 adverb
: in a direct, firm, or honest manner
looked her square in the eye
Medical Definition
square
adjective
: being or converted to a unit of area equal in measure to a square each side of which measures one unit of a specified unit of length
a square foot
Legal Definition
square
adjective
: fitting the factual or legal situation at bar
we have been shown no square holding of a Florida court to that effect—Milhet Caterers, Inc. v. North Western Meat, Inc., 185 So. 2d 196 (1966)
Milhet Caterers, Inc. v. North Western Meat, Inc., 185 So. 2d 196 (1966)
squarely
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on square
Nglish: Translation of square for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of square for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about square
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share