What is a quadrilateral?

A quadrilateral is any flat shape with four straight sides and four corners. Squares, rectangles, rhombuses, parallelograms and trapeziums are all quadrilaterals. Whatever its shape, the four angles inside a quadrilateral always add up to 360°.

Examples

• A square is a quadrilateral with 4 equal sides.
• A rectangle has 4 sides and 4 right angles.
• The four angles of any quadrilateral add up to 360°.

Quick facts

• 'Quad' means four, so a quadrilateral has four sides.
• A square is a special rectangle, and a rectangle is a special parallelogram.