Types of quadrilaterals

​What is a quadrilateral?

A quadrilateral is a two-dimensional shape with four sides and four angles.

​Some quadrilaterals have special names, such as trapezoid, parallelogram, rectangle, rhombus, and square. You can use the properties of quadrilaterals to name them. Let's find out how!

​Classifying quadrilaterals

A parallelogram is a quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides.

​A rectangle is a parallelogram with four right angles.

​A rhombus is a parallelogram with four equal sides.

​A square is a parallelogram with four equal sides and four right angles.

​A trapezoid is a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides. In the United Kingdom, this shape is called a trapezium.

​One shape, many names

You can use more than one name to describe the same quadrilateral. A square, for example, is also a rhombus, a rectangle, and a parallelogram! Use this chart to understand how different quadrilaterals relate to each other.