arc

noun

\ ˈärk

plural arcs

Definition of arc

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : the apparent path described above and below the horizon by a celestial body (such as the sun)

2a : something arched or curved

b : a curved path the arc of a fly ball

c basketball : three-point line At week's end he was shooting 40.0% from behind the arc and averaging 19.6 points.— Phil Taylor

3 : a sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes also : arc lamp

4 : a continuous portion (as of a circle or ellipse) of a curved line

5 : degree measurement on the circumference of a circle —used especially in the phrase of arc 11 minutes 3 seconds of arc

6 : a continuous progression or line of development a story's dramatic arc

arc

verb

arced\ ˈärkt

\; arcing\ ˈär-kiŋ

Definition of arc (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

1 : to form an electric arc (see arc entry 1 sense 3)

2 : to follow an arc-shaped course The ball arced across the sky.

transitive verb

: to throw, hit, or kick (something, such as a ball) on a high, arc-shaped course After driving into the long rough, he reached for a 4-wood and arced the ball just wide of the green.— Jeff Shain

arc

adjective

Definition of arc (Entry 3 of 4)

mathematics

: inverse sense 2 —used with the trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions

ARC

abbreviation

Definition of ARC (Entry 4 of 4)

1 AIDS-related complex

2 American Red Cross

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about arc

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms & Antonyms for arc

Synonyms: Noun

angle, arch, bend, bow, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, wind

Synonyms: Verb

arch, bend, bow, crook, curve, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheel

Antonyms: Verb

straighten

Examples of arc in a Sentence

Noun

He bent the twig into an arc. The ball floated in a high arc.

Verb

The arrow arced through the air. A light arced across the sky. The island chain arcs from north to south.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Sweeney, in factoring what to pay Carlo and McAvoy, also must consider the career arc and pay package for power-play QB Torey Krug, now less than 52 weeks from reaching unrestricted free agency. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo next on Bruins’ list," 13 July 2019 Along the way, arc intersected with some of ’80s rock’s most crucial moments, more than a few of which took place at The Cathouse, the Hollywood rock & roll dance-club Downe cofounded in 1986 with Riki Rachtman, soon to be of MTV fame. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al.com, "An ’80s glam-metal survivor tells all," 9 July 2019 Winners: Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors If Leonard had chosen the Lakers, the NBA’s major narrative arcs for the 2019-20 campaign would have revolved around the league’s budding new superteam. — Ben Golliver, The Denver Post, "Winners and losers from the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George bombshell," 6 July 2019 After making an enemy of himself by bullying our favorite group of Hawkins misfits and beating up Steve (Joe Keery) in season 2 of Stranger Things, Billy (ustinacre Montgomery) seemed due for a redemption arc. — Time, "Breaking Down What Happens to Billy in Stranger Things Season 3," 4 July 2019 Those guys are all outfielders in the Hall of Fame with potentially comparable arcs to Yelich. — Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Is Christian Yelich on track to be a Hall of Famer? Let's break down where he's headed and what he'd still have to do," 28 June 2019 And each turn of Ive’s tale follows a similar arc to Apple’s climb. — John Patrick Pullen, Fortune, "Jony Ive, Star Designer of the iMac, iPod, and iPhone, to Leave Apple," 27 June 2019 Jessica's character arc, in contrast, is one of redemption. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Review: Jessica Jones S3 is flawed but packs a powerful payoff in the end," 24 June 2019 You: Loved Captain America's arc across the Marvel universe. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "Should You See Toy Story 4 Or Child's Play?," 20 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Yet his trip on golf's slippery ladder arced invariably upward, beginning with ACC freshman of the year honors, not to mention a way with kids reflected in being perennially voted best counselor by tykes at Florida State's golf camps. — Chuck Culpepper, courant.com, "Brooks Koepka never got lost on his long winding road to the top of the golf world," 10 June 2019 In the Brexit referendum, sixty-one per cent of voters in Weymouth and Portland were in favor of leaving the E.U. When Liebling visited, there were families were making a day of it on the beach, which arcs in a semicircle around the bay. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "A D Day Journey in the Spirit of A. J. Liebling," 7 June 2019 Situated in the far southwest corner of the San Francisco Volcanic Field — a swath of impressive igneous features that arcs from Williams to Flagstaff in northern Arizona — Davenport Hill is an anthill among giants. — Mare Czinar, azcentral, "You'll probably have the summit to yourself on this shady summer hike," 7 June 2019 This unique space allows for a stair to arc gently from floor to floor, adding dimension to daily life. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Crowns Winner in Mars Habitat Competition," 10 May 2019 The evening ends with similar impact, as the full company’s arcing paths of running dancers circuit the stage, at times suggesting a whirlpool, before looping out as a whiplash of punctuation. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "‘The Six Brandenburg Concertos’ Review: Falling Short of Bach," 5 Oct. 2018 On a recent afternoon at Soho Rep, a welder sent sparks arcing past a dressing room strewn with metal bars and twin vises holding lengths of steam pipe. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "A Safer Home for Dangerous Plays," 31 Jan. 2018 Nigeria's 19-year-old stopper was the difference between his side and a much harsher scoreline at half-time, also managing to get his fingertips to Messi's arcing free kick to tip it onto the post. — SI.com, "Nigeria 1-2 Argentina: Late Show By Rojo Sees La Albiceleste Sneak Into Knockout Stages of World Cup," 26 June 2018 The flight of the ball defied belief, arcing over the Chelsea defence and crashing into the net off the underside of the crossbar - an unstoppable effort by anyone's standards. — SI.com, "6 of the Best Moments From a Potentially Decisive Weekend of Premier League Action," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arc.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.