If you took geometry back in grade school, there’s a good chance that the word “congruent” has crossed your path — but do you remember what it means? Or how to use it in a sentence?

In this article, we’re exploring the word congruent to uncover its definition, origin, synonyms, and more. So if you’ve ever been curious about “congruent,” — keep reading. Here’s our complete guide on congruent.

What Is the Definition of Congruent?

/ˈkɑːŋ.ɡru.ənt/ /ˈkɒŋ.ɡru.ənt/

According to Cambridge English Dictionary, if two objects are congruent, they are similar or fit well together.

This term is most often used in mathematics. In this context, congruent can refer to two numbers related by congruence or similarity.

In geometry, our word of the day means coinciding at all points when superimposed. In chemistry, congruent can be defined as not undergoing a change in composition when undergoing a reaction — such as congruent melting.

What Is Congruent Used in Geometry?

This term is also used in geometry. In this context, the term congruent refers to any number of things that are identical in size and shape. In this sense, congruence can be applied to an assortment of things, like, angles, line segments, and figures.

In layman’s terms, congruent means “exactly equal” when referencing size or shape in geometry. It doesn’t matter if you rotate, turn or flip the shapes. If they are congruent, they will remain equal.

Circles are congruent if two or more share an equal radius, allowing them to superimpose one another. Similarly, any two line segments, if equal in length, are congruent. If any two or more triangles have corresponding angles or sizes, they are also congruent.

Fun fact for the reader: the symbol used to show congruence is ≅. For instance, if triangle A is congruent to triangle B, we can write this the following way: triangle A ≅ triangle B.

A congruent figure applies to any two geometrical figures that superimpose each other. This applies to all geometrical figures, including quadrilaterals, triangles, trefoils, and parallelograms— just to name a few.

What Is the Word Origin of Congruent

Deriving from Latin congruent, a stem of congruēns and a present participle of congruere (meaning “to come together, correspond with”), the first written record of the word congruent dates back to 1425 and 1475.

What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Congruent?

Synonyms and antonyms are great tools to help you remember the words that you’re trying to commit to memory.

A synonym is a word with the same meaning as another word. With that in mind, synonyms of congruent include:

Congruous
Identical shapes
Accordant
Lookalike
Parallele
Clone
Ad rem
Right on
In unison
Of one mind
Having a direct bearing on
Twin
Having to do with
To the purpose
On the button
Pertaining to
On target
Duplicate
Astute
Commonsensical
Bonafide
Compatible
Agreeing
Uniform
Confirmed
Consonant
Carbon copy
Nonconflicting
Compatible
Of a piece
Like two peas in a pod
Very same
Coherent
Suitable
In accord
Correspondent with
In congruence

An antonym is a word with a meaning with the opposite meaning of another word. Antonyms of congruent include:

Conflicting
Without cause
Inharmonious
Opposed
Without justification
Ill founded
Uncalled for
Unsound
At odds
Mismatched
Obstreperous
Defiant
At loggerheads
Balky
Out of sync
Contumacious
At variance
In opposition
Dissonant
Without justification
Antipathetic
Adverse
In contention
Not backed up
Without reason

How Can You Use Congruent in a Sentence?

Now that you understand what congruent means, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice — test your knowledge to see how many sentences you can come up with using our word of the day.

To get you started, check out our example sentences listed below:

“I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around geometric figures, quadrilaterals, or any congruence theorems.”

“Would you say that your values are congruent with your values?”

“Are you familiar with the plane-triangle congruence theorem?”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but chowing down on six chocolate bars right after eating dinner is not congruent with your plan for losing weight.”

“Can two polygons be congruent?”

“We studied congruent triangles and other congruent angles in Geometry last year.”

“Did you know that congruent segments are just segments of the same length?”

“Apparently, triangles are considered congruent when they have matching angles.”

What Are Translations of Congruent?

Did you know that there is more than one way to say congruent? Here are some of the most common translations from around the globe:

Chinese (Traditional) — 致的, 適合的,（數學圖形）全等的
Portuguese — congruente
Chinese (Simplified) — 致的, 适合的,（数学图形）全等的
Norwegian — kongruent, overensstemmende, i samsvar med
Czech — shodný
Malay — kongruen
Italian — congruente
Danish — kongruent
Indonesian — kongruen, sebangun
Thai — มีรูปและขนาดเดียวกัน
Vietnamese — đồng dạng
Polish — przystający
Spanish — congruente
German — übereinstimmend
Ukrainian — конгруентний, такий, що збігається

A Final Word

So, what does congruent mean, you ask?

Simply put, the word congruent describes something that’s similar in character or type. When two objects have the same shape and size, they are congruent!

To understand words similar to congruent, explore our blog.

Sources:

CONGRUENT : definition | Cambridge English Dictionary

CONGRUENT English Definition and Meaning | Lexico.com

Congruent definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary