A shape measuring apparatus, comprising: a surface plate; a first moving unit that has a first fixed section extending along a first axis direction as any one of XY-axis directions of the surface plate and coupled with the surface plate, and a first movable section backward and forward moving along the first axis direction with respect to the first fixed section, and is arranged on the surface plate; a movement auxiliary unit that has an auxiliary unit fixed section extending along the first axis direction and coupled with the surface plate, and an auxiliary unit movable section backward and forward moving in substantially parallel with a moving direction of the first movable section with respect to the auxiliary unit fixed section; and a second moving unit, that has a second fixed section which extends along a second-axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction of the XY-axis directions of the surface plate, and which has one end movably supported by the first moving unit, and an other end fixed to the auxiliary unit movable section of the movement auxiliary unit, and a second movable section laterally moving in the second axis direction with respect to the second fixed section, wherein, the first moving unit has a first- axial drive unit having the first fixed section and the first movable section, while the second moving unit has a second axial driving unit having the second fixed section and the second movable section, and an XY-stage is configured such that the first-axial drive unit is driven to move the XY stage in the first-axis direction along with the first movable section with respect to the first fixed section, the apparatus being arranged so that, in use, a counteraction of force generated at a time of movement of the second movable section is received in the movement auxiliary unit when the second axial drive unit is driven to move the XY stage in the second-axis direction along with the second movable section with respect to the second fixed section, the apparatus being further arranged so that, in use, one of a probe that measures a surface of a measured object and the measured object is supported by the XY stage, and the other is supported by the surface plate, and the apparatus being further arranged so that, in use, the XY stage is driven to relatively scan the probe in the XY-axis directions with respect to the surface of the measured object, to measure a shape of the measured object from information acquired by the probe. a surface plate; a first moving unit that has a first fixed section extending along a first axis direction as any one of XY-axis directions of the surface plate and coupled with the surface plate, and a first movable section backward and forward moving along the first axis direction with respect to the first fixed section, and is arranged on the surface plate; a movement auxiliary unit that has an auxiliary unit fixed section extending along the first axis direction and coupled with the surface plate, and an auxiliary unit movable section backward and forward moving in substantially parallel with a moving direction of the first movable section with respect to the auxiliary unit fixed section; and a second moving unit, that has a second fixed section which extends along a second-axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction of the XY-axis directions of the surface plate, and which has one end movably supported by the first moving unit, and an other end fixed to the auxiliary unit movable section of the movement auxiliary unit, and a second movable section laterally moving in the second axis direction with respect to the second fixed section, wherein, the first moving unit has a first- axial drive unit having the first fixed section and the first movable section, while the second moving unit has a second axial driving unit having the second fixed section and the second movable section, and an XY-stage is configured such that the first-axial drive unit is driven to move the XY stage in the first-axis direction along with the first movable section with respect to the first fixed section, the apparatus being arranged so that, in use, a counteraction of force generated at a time of movement of the second movable section is received in the movement auxiliary unit when the second axial drive unit is driven to move the XY stage in the second-axis direction along with the second movable section with respect to the second fixed section, the apparatus being further arranged so that, in use, one of a probe that measures a surface of a measured object and the measured object is supported by the XY stage, and the other is supported by the surface plate, and the apparatus being further arranged so that, in use, the XY stage is driven to relatively scan the probe in the XY-axis directions with respect to the surface of the measured object, to measure a shape of the measured object from information acquired by the probe.