Definition of orthogonal
1a : 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 1integral 1b) that is zero or sometimes one under specified conditions: such asa of real-valued functions : having the integral of the product of each pair of functions over a specific interval equal to zerob of vectors : having the scalar product equal to zeroc 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 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 … factors — O. D. Duncan
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of orthogonal from the Web
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All of this is, of course, trackable on the handheld's lower screen, the persistence of its orthogonal map eliminating screen-tabbing interruptions and clumsy semi-transparent overlays.
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The coal-refining tax credits were approved by Congress and, seeing as the energy industry is completely orthogonal to Mylan's business, there's no reason the company can't snatch up stakes in this business arena.
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The shifting tectonics play off the orthogonal grid of courts.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orthogonal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of orthogonal
Middle French, from Latin orthogonius, from Greek orthogōnios, from orth- + gōnia angle — more at -gon
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
Medical Dictionary
orthogonal
playMedical Definition of orthogonal
1a: lying or intersecting at right anglesb: 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 tape—Massoud Nemati et al
2: statistically independent mental ability may be classified into several orthogonal…factors—O. D. Duncan
Learn More about orthogonal
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Britannica English: Translation of orthogonal for Arabic speakers
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