A quadrilateral is a shape that’s four-sided and two-dimensional. Examples of quadrilaterals include squares, rectangles, and kites. ‘Quad’ means four, and ‘lateral’ means sides.
A quadrilateral can be regular or irregular, meaning the sides of a quadrilateral do not have to be the same length or angles. A shape must be 2D, closed, and have four straight sides to be a quadrilateral.
Quadrilaterals have four sides, four vertices, and four interior angles that add up to 360°.
Examples of Quadrilateral Shapes
- parallelogram
- rectangle
- square
- rhombus
- trapezium
- kite
Types of quadrilateral and their properties
- A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles, like a square. However, a rectangle has two opposite sides that are longer than the other two opposite sides.
- A square has equal sides. Each corner is a right angle. A square is technically also a rectangle. The square is the only regular type of quadrilateral.
- A trapezium or trapezoid has a pair of parallel sides that are opposite to one another.
- A kite is easy: it looks like a kite! It has two pairs of sides that are next to one another. If the diagonal lines between opposite corners are drawn on, they meet at a right angle.
Can children spot different quadrilaterals in the world around them? Try looking out for road signs, books, and games for examples of varying quadrilateral shapes.
