In mathematics, involving terms where a variable is squared (raised to the power of two), such as in equations like ax² + bx + c.
From Latin *quadratus* meaning 'square', from *quattuor* ('four'). The link to 'square' comes from multiplying a number by itself, like the area of a square.
Quadratic equations are 'square‑based' problems: their highest power is x², not x³ or x⁴. The same root that gives us *quadrilateral* (four‑sided shape) also hides inside *quadratic*, connecting shapes and equations.
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