Any definition that relies on trig (sometimes disguised as trig expansion) assumes the existence of a flat Euclidean space - which is a convenient mathematical abstraction in real-world terms, but not required in the general case.
Most everyday physics assumes a flat space, so it's not surprising certain constants fall out of this.
There are more complex and interesting definitions which rely on relationships defined by group theory. I don't know enough about those to say if they're just more complex ways to operate in a flat space, or more complex ways to disguise simple trig expansions, or if they're completely independent, or if something else is going on.
You can get trig functions without any kind of geometry.