Which statement describes a trapezoid?

Which statement describes a trapezoid?

• A. Has two pairs of parallel sides.
• B. Has no parallel sides.
• C. All sides are congruent.
• D. Has exactly one pair of parallel sides.

Answer: (D)

A trapezoid is defined by having exactly one pair of parallel opposite sides. That description fits the figure where the two bases run parallel to each other while the other two sides (the legs) are not parallel. If there were two pairs of parallel sides, it would be a parallelogram, not a trapezoid. If no sides were parallel, it wouldn’t meet this definition at all. If all sides were congruent, you’d have a rhombus, which also has parallel opposite sides, but not just one pair. So describing exactly one pair of parallel sides is the right way to define a trapezoid.

A trapezoid is defined by having exactly one pair of parallel opposite sides. That description fits the figure where the two bases run parallel to each other while the other two sides (the legs) are not parallel. If there were two pairs of parallel sides, it would be a parallelogram, not a trapezoid. If no sides were parallel, it wouldn’t meet this definition at all. If all sides were congruent, you’d have a rhombus, which also has parallel opposite sides, but not just one pair. So describing exactly one pair of parallel sides is the right way to define a trapezoid.