trajectory
noun
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Formed with part of the prefix trans-, "across", trajectory means a "hurling across". By calculating the effect of gravity and other forces, the trajectory of an object launched into space at a known speed can be computed precisely. Missiles stand a chance of hitting their target only if their trajectory has been plotted accurately. The word is used most often in physics and engineering, but not always; we can also say, for example, that the trajectory of a whole life may be set in a person's youth, or that a new book traces the long trajectory of the French empire.
Examples of trajectory in a Sentence
Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Meantime the post-Nvidia-earnings collective rethink of the trajectory, profitability and durability of the AI-capex boom has Nvidia shares testing two-month support and Microsoft and Meta Platforms undergoing 8%-plus corrections from their recent highs.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
The slim narrative trajectory has Coppola following Jacobs in the 12 weeks leading up to the show for his spring 2024 collection.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Older systems weren’t designed to handle the rich, unstructured or inferred data that agentic systems produce, like dynamic skills profiles or career trajectories.
—Abakar Saidov, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trajectory
Cite this Entry
“Trajectory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trajectory. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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trajectory
noun
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