Definition of perpendicular
1a : standing at right angles to the plane of the horizon : exactly uprightb : 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
From the M-W Editors
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
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Your right shoulder, elbow, and wrist will remain aligned and perpendicular to the floor throughout the movement.
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Stick the net in the water, perpendicular to the riverbank, with the current running through the net, and wait.
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By 1988, the Hunchback tilted more than eight feet from the perpendicular.
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But listing 253 centimeters off its perpendicular ax, the precarious minaret has long been a concern.
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Using tongs, hold a steak perpendicular to grill and sear bone side and fat-cap side of steak to render out some of the fat, about 2 minutes per side.
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The I-30 sign was to be 8-foot-tall steel letters, mounted on repurposed concrete construction barriers cascaded one-by-one for 500 feet perpendicular to the highway and lit after sunset.
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To get around this issue, Gleason angles two rows of panels slightly off the wall’s perpendicular: In North America, solar panels also usually face south, toward the equator.
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The bathroom is perpendicular, a sky-blue container with a row of sinks and mirrors, two showers and porta-potties inside.
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
Synonym Discussion of perpendicular
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
perpendicular
Definition of perpendicular
: a line at right angles to a line or plane (as of the horizon)
First Known Use of perpendicular
1551
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
PERPENDICULAR Defined for English Language Learners
perpendicular
playDefinition of perpendicular for English Language Learners
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: going straight up or to the side at a 90 degree angle from another line or surface
PERPENDICULAR Defined for Kids
Definition of perpendicular for Students
1 : exactly vertical
2 : being at right angles to a line or surface The letter T is made with two perpendicular lines.
perpendicularly
adverbDefinition of perpendicular for Students
: a line, surface, or position at right angles to another line, surface, or position
Learn More about perpendicular
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See words that rhyme with perpendicular Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for perpendicular Spanish Central: Translation of perpendicular Nglish: Translation of perpendicular for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of perpendicular for Arabic speakers
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