Which shape is defined by having opposite sides parallel?

Which shape is defined by having opposite sides parallel?

• A. Parallelogram
• B. Rectangle
• C. Circle
• D. Trapezoid

Answer: (A)

Opposite sides parallel is what defines a parallelogram. When both pairs of opposite sides run parallel, the figure closes into a four-sided shape with properties like opposite sides being equal and opposite angles equal, and its diagonals bisect each other. A rectangle also has parallel opposite sides, but it’s defined by four right angles, not by the parallelism alone. A trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides, and a circle has no sides at all. So the shape characterized by opposite sides being parallel is a parallelogram.

Opposite sides parallel is what defines a parallelogram. When both pairs of opposite sides run parallel, the figure closes into a four-sided shape with properties like opposite sides being equal and opposite angles equal, and its diagonals bisect each other. A rectangle also has parallel opposite sides, but it’s defined by four right angles, not by the parallelism alone. A trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides, and a circle has no sides at all. So the shape characterized by opposite sides being parallel is a parallelogram.