two-dimensional

adjective

two-di·​men·​sion·​al ˈtü-də-ˈmench-nəl How to pronounce two-dimensional (audio)
 also  -dī-,
-ˈmen(t)-shə-nᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or having two dimensions
The most symmetric of the two-dimensional objects is the circle, because you can rotate it any amount and reflect it over any axis through its center, and it remains exactly the same …Tamara M. Davis
… consider a piece of paper, a two-dimensional object. Crumple the paper up. The more tightly it's compressed, the more chaotic are its folds, and the closer the two-dimensional surface moves to becoming a three-dimensional solid.John Briggs and F. David Peat
2
: lacking the illusion of depth : not three-dimensional
His violent, nakedly two-dimensional art can be difficult to capture in photographs, depending as it does in great measure on knotty textures and eccentric color schemes for effect.Publishers Weekly
3
: lacking depth of characterization
two-dimensional characters
two-dimensionality noun
plural two-dimensionalities
two-dimensionally adverb
This guide … covers thoroughly and in-depth the process of representing the human form two-dimensionally on paper. Heather Halliday

Examples of two-dimensional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The model can take a short text description of the game, a photo, or even a small sketch of what a game screen should look like and then generate a simple two-dimensional, arcade-style game from that input. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 An infinite two-dimensional plane covered with Penrose tiles, like a grid of qubits, can be described using the mathematical framework of quantum physics: The quantum states are specific tilings instead of 0s and 1s. Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 Along the way, he was entrusted by animators to bring their two-dimensional drawings into a three-dimensional world. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Typically shown in a two-dimensional graph, for this project a third dimension is added to allow the depiction of specific information. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 When the tiny threads are closed and move through spacetime in a wobbly manner, their track forms a two-dimensional tube. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2024 But mathematicians… There’s a few isolated areas of mathematics such as like, tiling, two-dimensional tiling, and maybe finding records in prime numbers. Quanta Magazine, 1 Feb. 2024 How could graphene become the silicon of quantum computing? Graphene, a two-dimensional material composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, has already demonstrated remarkable electronic properties. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024 Nagaoka envisioned a square, two-dimensional lattice where every site on the lattice had just one electron. Michael Greshko, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'two-dimensional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of two-dimensional was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near two-dimensional

Cite this Entry

“Two-dimensional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-dimensional. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

two-dimensional

adjective
: of, relating to, or having two dimensions (as length and width)

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