Rectangularly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a style associated with the features of rectangles, especially regarding their angular properties and straight edges
2. In a manner reflective of the geometric qualities of rectangles, highlighting their straight lines and right angles
3. Done in a way that resembles the shape or form of a rectangle, especially emphasizing right angles and parallel sides

Etymology: "Rectangularly" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "rectangular" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, meaning in a rectangular manner. The adjective "rectangular" is itself built from "rectangle," which comes from Late Latin "rectangulum," a combination of "rectus" (straight, right) and "angulus" (angle, corner). The sense is literally "right-angled," which is why the word centres on right angles and straight lines rather than on the shape's proportions. Because "-ly" simply turns an adjective into an adverb, the word has no independent history of its own. It describes an action or arrangement carried out in the manner of a rectangle, such as a table being set up with its edges meeting at right angles or a grid being laid out in parallel rows and columns.

Synonyms: squarely, oblongly, quadratically, angularly, rectilinearly

Antonyms: circularly, roundly, curvilinearly, elliptically, irregularly