per·pen·dic·u·lar
ˌpər-pən-ˈdi-kyə-lər 
1
a
: standing at right angles to the plane of the horizon : exactly upright
b
: being at right angles to a given line or plane
2
: extremely steep : precipitous
3
often capitalized
: of or relating to a medieval English Gothic style of architecture in which vertical lines predominate
4
: relating to, uniting, or consisting of individuals of dissimilar type or on different levels
: a line at right angles to a line or plane (as of the horizon)
Synonyms
Examples of perpendicular in a Sentence
Adjective
She lives on the street that is perpendicular to mine.
river rafters staring awestruck at the canyon's nearly perpendicular cliffs
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2023
In 2021, the Oceanside City Council approved spending up to $1 million on plans to find a source of supplemental sand, possibly from near-shore deposits in the ocean, and to build retention devices, such as rock groins extending perpendicular from the beach, to slow the loss of sand.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2023
The bill did not directly expand the right to get to the shore in the first place, or what’s sometimes called perpendicular access.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2023
If Earth’s tilt was perpendicular to its orbit around the sun, then the one hemisphere exposed to the sun would remain the same at all times of year.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 23 Aug. 2023
Flight 1083 was cleared to land as well, but Flight 2133 continued to fly perpendicular to the airport and was still on a path toward the Medevac flight.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Arizona Republic, 28 June 2023
Place your elbow on the floor, with your arm facing forward (perpendicular to your torso).
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 18 May 2023
Once the driver gets to the destination safely, IQ can help parallel or perpendicular park with automatic steering, braking, and shifting.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 9 Aug. 2023
How to Do It: Widen your feet as much as possible with the shins still staying perpendicular to the floor when gripping the bar.
—Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 7 Aug. 2023
Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 13 July 2023
Aim to keep your forearm perpendicular to the floor, and keep your abs and shoulder blades tight.
—Men's Health, 7 July 2023
Rest right elbow on floor directly below right shoulder, with right forearm perpendicular to body and palm resting on the ground.
—Megan Falk, Women's Health, 28 June 2023
What to Look for in Amazon Watches for Men Case Size: The case size is determined by the width of the watch perpendicular to the strap, not including the crown—the knob on the side.
—Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 20 June 2023
Keep your upper arm perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement.
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 31 May 2023
How to Do It: Get down on the ground on your side, then place your elbow and forearm flat on the floor with your arm perpendicular to your torso facing out.
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 27 May 2023
Groins are devices built of rock or concrete perpendicular to the beach, designed to catch and hold the longshore flow of sand.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2023
The report cited video from a surveillance camera that was located on the ramp perpendicular to runway 18.
—Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
See More
Adjective
In his earlier work, Schwartz identified two straight lines that are perpendicular to each other and also in the same plane, forming a T-pattern on every Möbius strip.
—Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Sep. 2023
In 2021, the Oceanside City Council approved spending up to $1 million on plans to find a source of supplemental sand, possibly from near-shore deposits in the ocean, and to build retention devices, such as rock groins extending perpendicular from the beach, to slow the loss of sand.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2023
The bill did not directly expand the right to get to the shore in the first place, or what’s sometimes called perpendicular access.
—Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2023
If Earth’s tilt was perpendicular to its orbit around the sun, then the one hemisphere exposed to the sun would remain the same at all times of year.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 23 Aug. 2023
Flight 1083 was cleared to land as well, but Flight 2133 continued to fly perpendicular to the airport and was still on a path toward the Medevac flight.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., The Arizona Republic, 28 June 2023
Place your elbow on the floor, with your arm facing forward (perpendicular to your torso).
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 18 May 2023
Once the driver gets to the destination safely, IQ can help parallel or perpendicular park with automatic steering, braking, and shifting.
—Umar Shakir, The Verge, 9 Aug. 2023
How to Do It: Widen your feet as much as possible with the shins still staying perpendicular to the floor when gripping the bar.
—Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 7 Aug. 2023
Noun
Most people will place their rug perpendicular to their bed; the size will often come down to the dimensions of the room and how your furniture is laid out.
—Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 13 July 2023
Aim to keep your forearm perpendicular to the floor, and keep your abs and shoulder blades tight.
—Men's Health, 7 July 2023
Rest right elbow on floor directly below right shoulder, with right forearm perpendicular to body and palm resting on the ground.
—Megan Falk, Women's Health, 28 June 2023
What to Look for in Amazon Watches for Men Case Size: The case size is determined by the width of the watch perpendicular to the strap, not including the crown—the knob on the side.
—Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 20 June 2023
Keep your upper arm perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement.
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 31 May 2023
How to Do It: Get down on the ground on your side, then place your elbow and forearm flat on the floor with your arm perpendicular to your torso facing out.
—Brett Williams, Men's Health, 27 May 2023
Groins are devices built of rock or concrete perpendicular to the beach, designed to catch and hold the longshore flow of sand.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2023
The report cited video from a surveillance camera that was located on the ramp perpendicular to runway 18.
—Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perpendicular.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English perpendiculer, from Middle French, from Latin perpendicularis, from perpendiculum plumb line, from per- + pendēre to hang — more at pendant
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1551, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of perpendicular was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near perpendicular
Cite this Entry
“Perpendicular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perpendicular. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
perpendicular
1 of 2 adjective
per·pen·dic·u·lar
ˌpər-pən-ˈdik-yə-lər
1
: exactly vertical or upright
2
: forming a right angle with each other or with a given line or plane
perpendicularly
adverb
perpendicular
2 of 2 noun
: a perpendicular line
More from Merriam-Webster on perpendicular
Nglish: Translation of perpendicular for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of perpendicular for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share