What is a solid that has identical polygonal bases and rectangular sides referred to as?

A solid that has identical polygonal bases and rectangular sides is referred to as a prism. This classification arises from the geometric properties of prisms, wherein the two parallel bases are congruent and can be any polygon, while the sides, which connect the corresponding vertices of the bases, are typically rectangles.

The key characteristic of a prism is its uniform cross-section along its length, which means that if you slice through the prism parallel to the bases, the cross-section would reveal an identical shape to them. This structural property is what distinguishes prisms from other geometric forms like pyramids, which converge to a single apex, and cylinders, which have circular bases instead of polygonal. Additionally, while a cube is a specific type of prism where all faces are squares, a general prism can include various other polygon shapes for its bases. Therefore, identifying a solid with the described features points directly to the definition of a prism.