parabolic
adjective
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The two distinct meanings of parabolic trace back to the development of Late Latin and New Latin. Late Latin is the Latin language used by writers in the third to sixth centuries. In that language, the word for "parable" was parabola—hence, the "parable" sense of parabolic. New Latin refers to the Latin used since the end of the medieval period, especially in regard to scientific description and classification. In New Latin, parabola names the same geometrical curve as it does in English. Both meanings of parabola were drawn from the Greek word for "comparison": parabolē.
Examples of parabolic in a Sentence
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026
The statue was a parabolic gesture of high seriousness aimed at African American veterans, newly returned from World War II.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
Pilots on Earth can simulate partial gravity for up to 30 seconds at a time during parabolic flights, but only the 12 Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon have ever experienced it for longer than that.
—Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
Yet Pride Cleaners, both the angled, parabolic building and the towering, colorful pylon sign out front, captured more than customers.
—Elizabeth Blasius, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for parabolic
Cite this Entry
“Parabolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parabolic. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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