round

The word “round” means shaped like a circle or sphere, with no sharp corners. In plain terms, circular in shape, a complete whole number, one stage of something, or to approximate a figure.

“Round” is pronounced ROWND (/ˈɹaʊ̯nd/ in IPA).

Here is “round” used in a sentence: “The table was round, so everyone had an equal seat.”

The opposite of “round” — its antonyms — is fillet.

Depending on how it is used, “round” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.

The word “round” comes from Latin. From Old French roont/ront, ultimately from Latin rotundus ("round, circular") — the same root that gives us "rotund.".

“Round” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Round” has 8 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: shaped like a circle or sphere, with no sharp corners.

Circular means flat and shaped like a circle, such as a coin or plate. Spherical means ball-shaped in three dimensions, like a globe. Round is the everyday umbrella term for both: anything curved with no sharp corners, whether flat like a wheel or solid like an orange.

There is no single opposite, but the usual contrasts are square, angular, or straight, depending on context. Round describes smooth curves with no corners, so shapes defined by straight edges and sharp corners, such as squares, rectangles, and triangles, are its natural opposites.

Everyday round objects include balls, wheels, coins, plates, oranges, and the full moon. Some are flat circles, like a coin or a clock face, while others are three-dimensional spheres, like a marble or a globe. What they share is a smooth, curved outline with no sharp corners.

Yes. Beyond shape, round can mean complete or whole, as in a round number, one ending in zero, or a round dozen. It also appears in phrases like a round figure. These uses still carry the core idea of something neat and full, without rough edges or loose ends.