perpendicular

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

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: perpendicular in a Sentence

Definition of perpendicular

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

—

perpendicularity

play \ˌpər-pən-ˌdi-kyə-ˈler-ə-tē, -ˈla-rə-\ noun

—

perpendicularly

play \ˌpər-pən-ˈdi-kyə-lər-lē\ adverb

See perpendicular defined for English-language learners

See perpendicular defined for kids

Examples of perpendicular in a Sentence

She lives on the street that is perpendicular to mine.
river rafters staring awestruck at the canyon's nearly perpendicular cliffs

Recent Examples of perpendicular from the Web

Your left thigh should be perpendicular to the floor.

— jenny mccoy, SELF, "Why Doing Jumping Lunges Like Jordana Brewster Has Powerful Strength and Cardio Benefits," 2 July 2018
His wife was golfing in Michigan, and a person at a perpendicular angle on a golf cart caught her attention.

— clevis murray, azcentral, "Double-amputee golfer Chuck Passao continues to chase his passion," 12 June 2018
The direction of this Magnus force is perpendicular to the velocity and depends on both the velocity and the angular velocity (how fast the ball spins).

— rhett allain, WIRED, "Let's Use Physics to Model a Curving Soccer Ball," 24 June 2018
Using the tip of a sharp knife, first make shallow (about 1/8 inch deep) cuts across the grain one way, then the other way (perpendicular to first set of cuts).

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "The Beginner's Guide to Grilling Any Type of Food," 12 June 2018
The new study also suggests that objects resembling Bee-Zed can drift into orbits that lie perpendicular to the solar system's plane.

— National Geographic, "Is an Interstellar Asteroid Trapped Near Jupiter? Get the Facts.," 21 May 2018
Light is considered polarized if the amplitude varies in a consistent manner perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling.

— ann elsner, Smithsonian, "Polaroid Inventor Edwin Land Gave Us More Than Just Instant Photos," 18 May 2018
The trailer was parked on the side of the road, perpendicular to the road.

— bianca hillier, NBC News, "Young man Austin Colson still missing from Vermont four months later," 7 May 2018
Your left shin should be perpendicular to the floor and your knee should be stacked above your ankle.

— jenny mccoy, SELF, "Strengthen Your Entire Body With This 3-Move Kettlebell Circuit From Celebrity Trainer Ben Bruno," 30 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of perpendicular

Middle English perpendiculer, from Middle French, from Latin perpendicularis, from perpendiculum plumb line, from per- + pendēre to hang — more at pendant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

perpendicular Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of perpendicular

vertical, perpendicular, plumb mean being at right angles to a base line. vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.