oblique - Definition | Dictionary definition of oblique

Definition of oblique

slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled

"the oblique rays of the winter sun"

"acute and obtuse angles are oblique angles"

"the axis of an oblique cone is not perpendicular to its base"

Synonyms:: convergent
tending to come together from different directions; divergent, diverging
tending to move apart in different directions; inclined
at an angle to the horizontal or vertical position; bias
slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric; cata-cornered, catacorner, cater-cornered, catercorner, catty-corner, catty-cornered, kitty-corner, kitty-cornered
slanted across a polygon on a diagonal line; crabwise, sideways
(of movement) at an angle; diagonal
connecting two nonadjacent corners of a plane figure or any two corners of a solid that are not in the same face; nonparallel
(of e.g. lines or paths) not parallel; converging; oblique-angled
having oblique angles

Antonyms:: parallel
being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting; comparable
able to be compared or worthy of comparison; symmetric, symmetrical
having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts; antiparallel
(especially of vectors) parallel but oppositely directed; collateral
situated or running side by side; nonconvergent, nonintersecting
(of lines, planes, or surfaces) never meeting or crossing; perpendicular
intersecting at or forming right angles; normal
forming a right angle; orthogonal, rectangular
having a set of mutually perpendicular axes; meeting at right angles; right
having the axis perpendicular to the base; show more antonyms...

indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading

"gave oblique answers to direct questions"

"oblique political maneuvers"

Synonyms:: devious; indirect
extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action

any grammatical case other than the nominative

Antonyms:: nominative
the category of nouns serving as the grammatical subject of a verb; nominative case, subject case; show more antonyms...

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; accusative, accusative case, objective case
the case of nouns serving as the direct object of a verb; dative, dative case
the category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb; genitive, genitive case, possessive, possessive case
the case expressing ownership; attributive genitive, attributive genitive case
a word in the genitive case that is used as an attributive adjective; vocative, vocative case
the case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed; ablative, ablative case
the case indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument or manner or place of the action described by the verb