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

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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

Fire department photos show the red car hanging at an odd, perpendicular angle, with another car jammed behind it. — BostonGlobe.com, "Riders plunge 34 feet, others hurt when Fla. roller coaster derails," 15 June 2018 In a crosswind landing, strong wind is hitting an aircraft at a perpendicular angle to the direction of the landing strip. — Sophie Weiner, Popular Mechanics, "This Crosswind Jet Takeoff Is Terrifying," 2 Sep. 2016 Features: The backyard is a terraced retreat featuring an outdoor kitchen — with steel cabinets, a fire pit tucked underneath existing boulders, and a rectangular swimming pool set perpendicular to the line of the house. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Coolest homes: 10 unique modern homes featured on azcentral," 21 June 2018 Fog harvesters are mesh nets, usually one meter squared, erected perpendicular to the path of the wind. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Scientists are harvesting water by building fog harps and zapping the air," 8 June 2018 These winds, which blow perpendicular to the piles of sand, have left dark streaks of material on Sputnik Planitia that allowed scientists to retrace their path. — National Geographic, "Surprise! Pluto Has Dunes Made of Methane 'Sand'," 31 May 2018 On the far north side of the site, Devorkin plans to build a six-unit condominium building perpendicular to the other buildings. — Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Condos proposed at former church property in Thiensville," 23 May 2018 The green is divided into a front trough and back trough by a significant roll in the middle running perpendicular to the line of the hole and deep green. — star-telegram, "How to play the Trinity Forest golf course: Be creative and embrace the character | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 May 2018 Those two facts are closely related and illustrate a useful general principle: Whenever a definite sense of rotation is related to a definite direction of perpendicular linear motion, something chiral must be involved. — Frank Wilczek, WSJ, "The Peculiar Power of Nature’s Left and Right," 5 July 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.