perpendicular

adjective

per·pen·dic·u·lar | \ ˌpər-pən-ˈdi-kyə-lər

Definition of perpendicular

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

perpendicular

noun

Definition of perpendicular (Entry 2 of 2)

: a line at right angles to a line or plane (as of the horizon)

Other Words from perpendicular Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about perpendicular

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from perpendicular

Adjective

perpendicularity \ ˌpər-pən-ˌdi-kyə-ˈler-ə-tē

, -ˈla-rə- \ noun

perpendicularly \ ˌpər-pən-ˈdi-kyə-lər-lē

\ adverb

Synonyms & Antonyms for perpendicular

Synonyms: Adjective

erect, plumb, raised, stand-up, standing, upright, upstanding, vertical

Antonyms: Adjective

flat, recumbent

Choose the Right Synonym for perpendicular

Adjective

vertical, perpendicular, plumb mean being at right angles to a base line. vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith. the side of the cliff is almost vertical perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one. the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity. make sure that the wall is plumb

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: Adjective

In Diepersloot’s case, the authority is building two perpendicular highway bridges to go over its rails along his property. — Ralph Vartabedian, latimes.com, "High-speed rail route took land from farmers. The money they’re owed hasn’t arrived," 10 June 2019 This resultant vector is perpendicular to both of the starting vectors. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "The Best Way for a Mouse to Escape a Cat, According to Math," 3 June 2019 Knife Method Firmly grip the handle of a large knife (like a chef’s knife) and position the corner of the blade (the widest part closest to the handle) perpendicular to the can at the seam. — Country Living Staff, Country Living, "How to Open a Can Without a Can Opener," 21 May 2019 As the name suggests, surface-emitting lasers emit light perpendicular to the surface of the wafer. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Why millions of lasers on a chip could be the future of lidar," 8 Nov. 2018 With some officers standing on Atlantic Avenue and others on the perpendicular 120th Street, the police opened fire. — Zolan Kanno-youngs, WSJ, "NYPD Officials Say Detective Was Killed in Crossfire With Fellow Officers," 13 Feb. 2019 This wave in receding took her back toward the beach, and left her nearly perpendicular on the edge of a coral reef. — Daniel C. Schlenoff, Scientific American, "Lab Work for X-Ray Stars and Movie Stars," 1 Dec. 2017 When that’s done, a perpendicular line along 6th Street would be natural. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Austin can’t stay weird," 28 Sep. 2018 To avoid wiping out, a strategic perpendicular ski maneuver is required. — Amy Tara Koch, Vogue, "Can an Intermediate Skier Take on the Chilean Andes? Yes, and It’s a Party at Ski Portillo," 12 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Photos from the scene showed the plane perpendicular to highway lanes about 75 miles south of San Francisco. — CBS News, "Plane lands on California highway median; no injuries reported," 18 Feb. 2018

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