An angle is the space between two lines or surfaces that meet at a point. When two roads intersect, they form an angle. When you open a book partway, the covers create an angle. Mathematicians measure angles in degrees: a right angle (like the corner of a square) measures 90 degrees, while a straight line measures 180 degrees.

In geometry class, you learn to identify different types of angles: acute angles are smaller than 90 degrees, like a slice of pizza, while obtuse angles are larger than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees. The corner where two walls meet forms a right angle, which is why carpenters and builders care so much about getting their angles exactly right.

The word also means a particular way of looking at or thinking about something. A newspaper might cover a story from several different angles, examining it from multiple perspectives. When you're trying to solve a tricky problem, you might need to approach it from a new angle, meaning you change your strategy or viewpoint. A photographer chooses their angle carefully to make their subject look interesting or dramatic.

People sometimes use angle to describe a hidden motive, as in “What's your angle?” meaning “What are you really trying to accomplish?”