a pair of coordinates for locating a point in a plane by means of the length of a radius vector, r, which pivots about the origin to establish the angle, θ, that the position of the point makes with a fixed line. Usually written (r, θ)
See also Cartesian coordinates, spherical coordinates
polar coordinates in American English
a pair of numbers that locate a point in a plane: one is the distance of the point from a fixed point on a fixed line, and the other is the angle madeby the fixed line with the line connecting the two points