two-dimensional
adjective
two-di·men·sion·al
ˈtü-də-ˈmen(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 
also -dī-
1
: of, relating to, or having two dimensions
The most symmetric of the two-dimensional objects is the circle, because you can rotate it any amount and reflect it over any axis through its center, and it remains exactly the same …—
Tamara M. Davis
Tamara M. Davis… consider a piece of paper, a two-dimensional object. Crumple the paper up. The more tightly it's compressed, the more chaotic are its folds, and the closer the two-dimensional surface moves to becoming a three-dimensional solid.—John Briggs and F. David Peat
John Briggs and F. David Peat2
: lacking the illusion of depth : not three-dimensional
His violent, nakedly two-dimensional art can be difficult to capture in photographs, depending as it does in great measure on knotty textures and eccentric color schemes for effect.—Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly3
: lacking depth of characterization
two-dimensional characters
two-dimensionally
adverb
This guide … covers thoroughly and in-depth the process of representing the human form two-dimensionally on paper.
—Heather Halliday
Heather Halliday
Examples of two-dimensional in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Related: The search for alien life Unlike traditional two-dimensional microscopes, ELVIS allows researchers to observe the intricate structure and behavior of living cells in a volumetric format.
—John Loeffler, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
This correspondence is often compared to the way a hologram can make two-dimensional structures appear to be three-dimensional.
—Lyndie Chiou, Wired News, 20 Apr. 2025
While past years have presented a variety of photographs, paintings and other two-dimensional works, the 2025 showcase will feature mostly site-specific installations.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2025
The multiplicity-one conjecture concerns closed two-dimensional surfaces, like spheres or doughnuts, that live in three-dimensional space.
—Quanta Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
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John Loeffler, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
This correspondence is often compared to the way a hologram can make two-dimensional structures appear to be three-dimensional.
—Lyndie Chiou, Wired News, 20 Apr. 2025
While past years have presented a variety of photographs, paintings and other two-dimensional works, the 2025 showcase will feature mostly site-specific installations.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2025
The multiplicity-one conjecture concerns closed two-dimensional surfaces, like spheres or doughnuts, that live in three-dimensional space.
—Quanta Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for two-dimensional
Cite this Entry
“Two-dimensional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/two-dimensional. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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