triangulate

1 of 2

verb

tri·​an·​gu·​late trī-ˈaŋ-gyə-ˌlāt 

triangulated; triangulating

transitive verb

1

: to survey, map, or determine by triangulation

2

a

: to divide into triangles

b

: to give triangular form to

triangulate

2 of 2

adjective

tri·​an·​gu·​late trī-ˈaŋ-gyə-lət 

: consisting of or marked with triangles

Examples of triangulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

According to the report, the agency’s sensors could be supplemented with crowdsourced data from apps; one example is Enigma, which uses algorithms to rate the credibility of people’s sightings and triangulate objects using video recordings. —Matthew Hutson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025

These observatories triangulate cosmic radio signals to determine Earth’s orientation in space. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Running in a state Donald Trump carried, Gallego didn't try to tiptoe around culture wars or triangulate. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025

In the past, ecologists would take radio receivers into the field to painstakingly triangulate tigers’ locations once or twice a day in natural landscapes. —Neil Carter, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin triangulatus, past participle of triangulare to make triangles, from Latin triangulum

First Known Use

Verb

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1766, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for triangulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate