What does the term orthogonal refer to in geometric contexts?

In geometric contexts, the term orthogonal specifically refers to the concept of right angles. When two lines or vectors are described as orthogonal, it means that they intersect at a right angle, which is 90 degrees. This property is crucial in various areas of math and physics because it helps define relationships between different geometric elements and is foundational in fields such as linear algebra, where orthogonal vectors are treated with special significance due to their distinct properties, including forming a basis for vector spaces.

The notion of orthogonality is also important when discussing coordinate systems, as the axes in a Cartesian coordinate system are orthogonal to one another. This facilitates calculations in two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces and helps in visualizing and understanding geometric relationships.