orthogonal

adjective

or·​thog·​o·​nal ȯr-ˈthä-gə-nᵊl How to pronounce orthogonal (audio)
1
a
: intersecting or lying at right angles
In orthogonal cutting, the cutting edge is perpendicular to the direction of tool travel.
b
: having perpendicular slopes or tangents at the point of intersection
orthogonal curves
2
: having a sum of products or an integral (see integral entry 1 sense 1b) that is zero or sometimes one under specified conditions: such as
a
of real-valued functions : having the integral of the product of each pair of functions over a specific interval equal to zero
b
of vectors : having the scalar product equal to zero
c
of a square matrix : having the sum of products of corresponding elements in any two rows or any two columns equal to one if the rows or columns are the same and equal to zero otherwise : having a transpose with which the product equals the identity matrix
3
of a linear transformation : having a matrix (see matrix sense 5a) that is orthogonal : preserving length and distance
4
: composed of mutually orthogonal elements
an orthogonal basis of a vector space
5
: statistically independent
mental ability may be classified into several orthogonal … factorsO. D. Duncan
6
: orthographic sense 1
orthogonal projection
orthogonality noun
orthogonally adverb

Examples of orthogonal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Don’t go randomly asking for some details in an area that is orthogonal to someone’s primary effort. Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 Frankel’s orthogonal look at communism’s loudest critics comes to mind after another Washington Post effort to portray Meta as indifferent to the safety of children using its social media. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 As if that emerging standards landscape weren’t complicated enough, Sony championed yet another technology based on orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). Julianne Pepitone, IEEE Spectrum, 25 July 2025 Raising a child with disabilities can feel like wandering through an orthogonal arrangement of hallways, banging on walls to check for any hidden passageways to a more inclusive realm. Julie Kim, The Atlantic, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for orthogonal

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin orthogonius, from Greek orthogōnios, from orth- + gōnia angle — more at -gon

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of orthogonal was circa 1560

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Cite this Entry

“Orthogonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orthogonal. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

orthogonal

adjective
or·​thog·​o·​nal ȯr-ˈthäg-ən-ᵊl How to pronounce orthogonal (audio)
1
a
: lying or intersecting at right angles
b
: being, using, or made with three ECG leads whose axes are perpendicular to each other and to the frontal, horizontal, and sagittal axes of the body
the three orthogonal leads were recorded simultaneously on magnetic tapeMassoud Nemati et al.
2
: statistically independent
mental ability may be classified into several orthogonal … factorsO. D. Duncan
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