In Euclidean
geometry, a parallelogram is a
simple (
non self-intersecting) quadrilateral with
two pairs of parallel sides. The opposite or facing sides of a parallelogram are of equal length and the opposite angles of a parallelogram are of equal measure. The congruence of opposite sides and opposite angles is a direct consequence of the Euclidean Parallel Postulate and neither condition can be proven without appealing to the Euclidean Parallel Postulate or one of its equivalent formulations. The three-dimensional counterpart of a parallelogram is a parallelepiped.
The etymology (in
Greek παραλληλ-όγραμμον, a shape "of parallel lines") reflects the
definition.
A simple (non self-intersecting) quadrilateral is a parallelogram if and only if any one of the following statements is true:12
Two pairs of opposite sides are equal in length.
Two pairs of opposite angles are equal in measure.
The diagonals bisect each other.
One pair of opposite sides are parallel and equal in length.
Adjacent angles are supplementary.
Each diagonal divides the quadrilateral into
two congruent triangles.
The sum of the squares of the sides equals the sum of the squares of the diagonals. (This is the parallelogram law.)
It has rotational symmetry of order 2.
