1. A line segment from the center of a regular polygon perpendicular to one of its sides.
Usage: geometry; mathematics

Examples

• To find the area of a regular hexagon, you need to know the length of the apothem.
• The apothem of a square is half the length of its side.
• In a regular polygon, the apothem is always perpendicular to the side it meets.
• The apothem helps us calculate the area using the formula: Area = (1/2) × perimeter × apothem.
• For a regular pentagon, the apothem is shorter than the radius.