Square vs. Quadrangle — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 23, 2024
A square is a specific type of quadrangle with four equal sides and four right angles, whereas a quadrangle simply refers to any four-sided polygon.
Difference Between Square and Quadrangle
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A square is a regular polygon characterized by four equal sides and angles, each measuring 90 degrees. In contrast, a quadrangle is a more general term encompassing any four-sided figure, which may have sides and angles of varying measurements.
The defining feature of a square is its symmetry and regularity, making it a special case of both a rectangle and a rhombus. On the other hand, quadrangles can range from rectangles and rhombuses to more irregular shapes like trapezoids.
All squares are quadrangles, but not all quadrangles are squares. This is because the broader category of quadrangles includes diverse shapes that do not adhere to the strict equalities of a square.
In terms of diagonals, a square’s diagonals are equal in length and bisect each other at right angles. Whereas, in other quadrangles, the diagonals might not necessarily be equal or intersect at right angles.
From a geometric standpoint, squares have a high degree of rotational symmetry—every 90-degree turn results in a figure indistinguishable from the original. Quadrangles, depending on their specific type, generally have less symmetry.
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Comparison Chart
Sides
Four equal sides
Four sides, not necessarily equal
Angles
Four right angles (90°)
Angles vary; not necessarily 90°
Symmetry
High degree of symmetry
Symmetry varies by specific type
Diagonals
Equal length, bisect at right angles
Length and bisecting angles vary
Definition specificity
Very specific definition
Broad, general definition
Compare with Definitions
Square
A polygon with four equal sides and four right angles.
A chessboard is made up of multiple squares.
Quadrangle
A term used in architecture to describe rectangular courtyards or building complexes.
The university's old campus features a historic quadrangle surrounded by libraries.
Square
An area calculation figure, especially in mathematics.
The area of a square is calculated as side length squared.
Quadrangle
Any four-sided polygon, regardless of side length or angle.
The school's courtyard is shaped as a quadrangle.
Square
A regular quadrilateral with congruent sides and angles.
The windows in many modernist buildings are square-shaped.
Quadrangle
Used to describe plots of land or regions.
The four corners of the property form a perfect quadrangle.
Square
A figure of geometric precision and symmetry.
A square tile fits perfectly with others to cover a floor without gaps.
Quadrangle
Sometimes used in colloquial speech to refer to something that encloses or borders.
The garden is enclosed within a quadrangle of hedges.
Square
In everyday language, anything that is straightforward or traditional.
He's considered the square member of their group due to his conventional views.
Quadrangle
Broadly applicable in various geometrical contexts.
Different types of quadrangles are studied in elementary geometry.
Square
In geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, or 100-gradian angles or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle in which two adjacent sides have equal length.
Quadrangle
A four-sided plane figure, especially a square or rectangle.
Square
A plane figure with four equal straight sides and four right angles
A grid of ruled squares
Quadrangle
A square or rectangular space or courtyard enclosed by buildings.
Square
An open, typically four-sided, area surrounded by buildings in a village, town, or city
A market square
Leicester Square
Quadrangle
(Mathematics) A quadrilateral.
Square
The product of a number multiplied by itself
A circle's area is proportional to the square of its radius
Quadrangle
A rectangular area surrounded on all four sides by buildings.
Square
An L-shaped or T-shaped instrument used for obtaining or testing right angles
A carpenter's square
Quadrangle
The buildings bordering this area.
Square
A person considered to be old-fashioned or boringly conventional in attitude or behaviour
Reg is such a square
Quadrangle
The area of land shown on one atlas sheet charted by the US Geological Survey.
Square
A square meal
Three squares a day
Quadrangle
(geometry) A geometric shape with four angles and four straight sides; a four-sided polygon.
Square
Having the shape or approximate shape of a square
A square table
Quadrangle
A courtyard which is quadrangular.
Square
Denoting a unit of measurement equal to the area of a square whose side is of the unit specified
30,000 square feet of new gallery space
Quadrangle
The buildings forming the border of such a courtyard.
Square
At right angles; perpendicular
These lines must be square to the top and bottom marked edges
Quadrangle
A plane figure having four angles, and consequently four sides; any figure having four angles.
Square
Level or parallel
Place two pieces of wood one on top of the other, ensuring that they are exactly square
Quadrangle
A square or quadrangular space or inclosure, such a space or court surrounded by buildings, esp. such a court in a college or public school in England.
Square
(of two people) owing nothing to each other
An acknowledgement that we are square
Quadrangle
A four-sided polygon
Square
Old-fashioned or boringly conventional
Elvis was anything but square
Quadrangle
A rectangular area surrounded on all sides by buildings
Square
(of rhythm) simple and straightforward.
Square
Directly; straight
The ball hit me square in the forehead
Square
In a direction transversely across the field or pitch
The ball bounced almost square to the left
Square
Make square or rectangular; give a square or rectangular cross section to
You can square off the other edge
Square
Multiply (a number) by itself
5 squared equals 25
Square
Make compatible; reconcile
I'm able to square my profession with my religious beliefs
Square
Balance (an account)
Institutions are anxious to square their books before the election
Square
Bring (one's shoulders) into a position in which they appear square and broad, typically to prepare oneself for a difficult task or event
Chin up, shoulders squared, she stepped into the room
Square
Secure the help or acquiescence of (someone), especially by offering an inducement
Trying to square the press
Square
Pass (a ball) across the field, especially towards the centre.
Square
Set (a yard or other part of a ship) at right angles to the keel or other point of reference.
Square
(of a planet) have a square aspect with (another planet or position)
Saturn squares the Sun on the 17th
Square
A polygon having four equal sides and four equal angles.
Square
Something having an equal-sided rectangular form
A square of cloth.
Square
A T-shaped or L-shaped instrument for drawing or testing right angles.
Square
(Mathematics) The product obtained when a number or quantity is multiplied by itself
49 is the square of 7.
Square
(Games) Any of the quadrilateral spaces on a board, as in chess.
Square
Abbr. Sq. An open, usually four-sided area at the intersection of two or more streets, often planted with grass and trees for use as a park.
Square
A rectangular space enclosed by streets and occupied by buildings; a block.
Square
The flower bud of a cotton plant, with three bracts surrounding the unopened flower in a pyramidal structure.
Square
(Slang) A person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends.
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles.
Square
Forming a right angle.
Square
In alignment or flush
Put the paper square with the edge of the desk.
Square
Abbr. sq. Expressed in units measuring area
Square feet.
Square
Having a specified length in each of two equal dimensions
A room that is 12 feet square.
Square
Having a base that is a square
A square pyramid.
Square
(Nautical) Set at right angles to the mast and keel. Used of the yards of a square-rigged ship.
Square
Approximately rectangular and equilateral in cross section
A square house.
Square
Characterized by blocklike solidity or sturdiness.
Square
Honest; direct
A square answer.
Square
Just; equitable
A square deal.
Square
Having all accounts settled; even
I paid what I owed you, so we're square.
Square
(Sports) Even; tied.
Square
(Slang) Rigidly conventional; dull.
Square
To cut to a square or rectangular shape. Often used with off.
Square
To test or adjust for conformity to a desired plane, straight line, or right angle.
Square
To mark into squares. Often used with off.
Square
To bring into conformity or agreement
She could not square the request with her principles.
Square
To bring (oneself) into a better position or relation
He tried to square himself with his parents.
Square
To set straight or at approximate right angles
Square one's cap.
Square
To bring into balance; settle
Square a debt.
Square
(Sports) To even the score of
To square a game.
Square
To raise (a number or quantity) to the second power.
Square
To find a square equal in area to (the area of a given figure).
Square
(Informal) To bribe or fix
A party in litigation that tried to square the judge.
Square
(Mathematics) To be at right angles.
Square
To agree or conform
A story that doesn't square with the facts.
Square
(Mathematics) At right angles.
Square
In a square shape.
Square
In a solid manner; firmly.
Square
Directly; straight
Ran square into each other.
Square
In an honest, straightforward manner.
Square
(geometry) A polygon with four sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
Square
Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form.
Square
A cell in a grid.
You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
Square
A square piece, part, or surface.
A square of glass
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
(North America) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
Square
(printing) A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
Column inch
Square
An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
Square
A true measure, standard, or pattern.
Square
An open space or park, often in the center of a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
Square
A street surrounding a public square or plaza.
Square
(mathematics) The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; the second power of a number, value, term or expression.
64 is the square of 8.
Square
(military formation) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
Square
A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends: still sometimes used in modern terminology.
Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
Square
(British) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
Enter your account number followed by a square.
Square
(cricket) The central area of a cricket field, with one or more pitches of which only one is used at a time.
An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square.
Square
(real estate) A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, i.e. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.
Square
(roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of roof area. The materials for roofing jobs are often billed by the square in the United States.
Square
(academia) A mortarboard.
Square
Senseid|en|square meal elliptically}} {{ellipsis of square meal
Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day.
Square
(archaic) Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
Square
The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
Square
(astrology) The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
(dated) The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.
Square
(slang) Cigarette.
Square
(brewing) A vat used for fermentation.
Square
A well-defined core of a human body, a flat section from the fundament to the thoracic diaphragm.
Square
Shaped like a square the polygon.
Square
Forming a right angle (90°).
A square corner
Square
(of box-shaped objects such as buildings or metal frames) Forming right angles in all planes as intended; not rack or leaning.
The foundation has to be level and the framing has to be square.
Square
(nautical) Forming right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
Square metre
Square mile
Square
Honest; straightforward; fair.
I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
Square dealing
Square
Satisfied; comfortable with; not experiencing any conflict.
Square
Even; tied
To make or leave the accounts square
The sides were square at the end of the half.
Square
Socially conventional; boring.
Square
(cricket) In line with the batsman's popping crease.
Square
Solid, decent, substantial.
It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.
A man of a square frame
Square
Directly.
Square
(transitive) To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else; in particular:
The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared.
Square
(nautical) To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.
To square the yards
Square
(rowing) To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.
Square
(ambitransitive) To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.
John can square this question up for us.
These results just don't square with what we expected.
Square
(transitive) To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
To square our actions by the opinions of others
Square
Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
Square
To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
Square the circle
Square
To tile (completely fill) with squares.
Square
(soccer) To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
Square
(archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
Square
(obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Square
To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
Square
To form with four sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.
To square mason's work
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
(astrology) To hold a quartile position respecting.
Square
The corner, or angle, of a figure.
Square
Hence, anything which is square, or nearly so
He bolted his food down his capacious throat in squares of three inches.
Square
A pane of glass.
Square
An area of four sides, generally with houses on each side; sometimes, a solid block of houses; also, an open place or area for public use, as at the meeting or intersection of two or more streets.
The statue of Alexander VII. stands in the large square of the town.
Square
An instrument having at least one right angle and two or more straight edges, used to lay out or test square work. It is of several forms, as the T square, the carpenter's square, the try-square., etc.
Square
Hence, a pattern or rule.
Square
The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; thus, 64 is the square of 8, for 8
Square
Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
They of Galatia [were] much more out of square.
I have not kept my square.
Square
A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron.
Square
Fig.: The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
We live not on the square with such as these.
Square
The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
The act of squaring, or quarreling; a quarrel.
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure.
Square
Forming a right angle; as, a square corner.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame.
Square
Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just.
She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.
Square
Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest; as, square dealing.
Square
Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square.
Square
Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous.
By Heaven, square eaters.More meat, I say.
Square
At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; - said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
To form with four equal sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces; as, to square masons' work.
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
To adjust; to regulate; to mold; to shape; to fit; as, to square our actions by the opinions of others.
Square my trialTo my proportioned strength.
Square
To make even, so as to leave no remainder or difference; to balance; as, to square accounts.
Square
To multiply by itself; as, to square a number or a quantity.
Square
To hold a quartile position respecting.
The icy Goat and Crab that square the Scales.
Square
To place at right angles with the keel; as, to square the yards.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to conform or agree; to suit; to fit.
No works shall find acceptance . . .That square not truly with the Scripture plan.
Square
To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Are you such foolsTo square for this?
Square
To take a boxing attitude; - often with up, sometimes with off.
Square
(geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon;
You can compute the area of a square if you know the length of its sides
Square
The product of two equal terms;
Nine is the second power of three
Gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
Square
An open area at the meeting of two or more streets
Square
Something approximating the shape of a square
Square
Someone who doesn't understand what is going on
Square
A formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views
Square
Any artifact having a shape similar to a plane geometric figure with four equal sides and four right angles;
A checkerboard has 64 squares
Square
A hand tool consisting of two straight arms at right angles; used to construct or test right angles;
The carpenter who built this room must have lost his square
Square
Raise to the second power
Square
Make square;
Square the circle
Square the wood with a file
Square
Cause to match, as of ideas or acts
Square
Position so as to be square;
He squared his shoulders
Square
Be compatible with;
One idea squares with another
Square
Pay someone and settle a debt;
I squared with him
Square
Turn the paddle; in canoeing
Square
Turn the oar, while rowing
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle;
A square peg in a round hole
A square corner
Square
Leaving no balance;
My account with you is now all square
Square
Characterized by honesty and fairness;
A square deal
Wanted to do the square thing
Square
Without evasion or compromise;
A square contradiction
He is not being as straightforward as it appears
Square
Rigidly conventional or old-fashioned
Square
In a straight direct way;
Looked him squarely in the eye
Ran square into me
Square
With honesty and fairness;
Dealt squarely with his customers
Always treated me square
Square
In a square shape;
A squarely cut piece of paper
Folded the sheet of paper square
Square
Firmly and solidly;
Hit the ball squarely
The bat met the ball squarely
Planted his great bulk square before his enemy
Common Curiosities
Are all squares quadrangles?
Yes, all squares are a specific type of quadrangle.
Are all quadrangles squares?
No, quadrangles include a variety of shapes, not all of which have equal sides and angles.
What is a square?
A square is a four-sided polygon with equal sides and right angles.
What is a quadrangle?
A quadrangle is any four-sided figure.
How do you differentiate a square from other quadrangles?
A square has all sides equal and all angles at 90 degrees, unlike other quadrangles.
What is the significance of the diagonals in a square?
They are equal in length and bisect each other at right angles.
What types of quadrangles are there?
Types include squares, rectangles, rhombuses, and trapezoids.
Why is a square considered a perfect shape?
Due to its equal sides and symmetrical properties.
Can a quadrangle have rounded sides?
Typically, quadrangles are defined with straight sides, not rounded.
Is a rhombus a quadrangle?
Yes, a rhombus is a type of quadrangle with all sides equal but not necessarily right angles.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
