Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Cosecant (csc) is a trigonometric function that represents the reciprocal of the sine function. In terms of x, csc(x) equals 1/sin(x).
Related terms
Sin(x): Sine (sin) is another trigonometric function that relates to cosecant. Sin(x) equals 1/csc(x), which means they are reciprocals.
Unit Circle: A unit circle has a radius equal to 1 unit and is centered at the origin on a coordinate plane. Trigonometric functions like cosecant are often defined using values from points on this circle.
Reciprocal: A reciprocal of a number or function represents its multiplicative inverse. For example, if x = 2, then its reciprocal would be 1/x or 1/2.