vertical

adjective

ver·ti·cal | \ ˈvər-ti-kəl

Definition of vertical

1a : perpendicular to the plane of the horizon or to a primary axis : upright

b(1) : located at right angles to the plane of a supporting surface

(2) : lying in the direction of an axis : lengthwise

2a : situated at the highest point : directly overhead or in the zenith

b of an aerial photograph : taken with the camera pointing straight down or nearly so

3a : relating to, involving, or integrating economic activity from basic production to point of sale a vertical monopoly

b : of, relating to, or comprising persons of different status the vertical arrangement of society

4 medical : relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by genetic inheritance or by a congenital or perinatal route vertical inheritance … decreasing the rate of vertical transmission of HIV to the fetus by two-thirds, so that the numbers of children with the condition are diminishing.— Cynthia B. Cohen — compare horizontal sense 3

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

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Other Words from vertical

vertical noun

verticality \ ˌvər-tə-ˈka-lə-tē

\ noun

vertically \ ˈvər-ti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

verticalness \ ˈvər-ti-kəl-nəs

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for vertical

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 vertical in a Sentence

a shirt with vertical stripes the vertical axis of a graph

Recent Examples on the Web

Some were flipped upside down, and others were nearly vertical. — Ap Mcclatchy, The Mercury News, "1 dead, 5 injured after storm topples crane into Old East Dallas apartments," 9 June 2019 Choose your weekly layout (vertical, horizontal, or hourly), coil color, color scheme, and more. — The Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping, "GH Seal Spotlight: Erin Condren Coiled LifePlanner," 5 Apr. 2019 The side walls are near vertical, which allows all occupants to sit up comfortably. — Andrew Skurka, Outside Online, "Review: Big Agnes Tiger Wall Tents," 28 June 2018 Posted at 36-½ inch max vertical at the NBA combine. — Duane Rankin, azcentral, "Phoenix Suns: Five things to know about Cam Johnson," 21 June 2019 With two more riders to go, Bruynseels and his athletic mare went full throttle, charging at the last vertical to take the lead by 1.28 seconds. — Danielle Rossingh, CNN, "Niels Bruynseels clinches first Global Champions win in Cannes," 9 June 2019 The Undefeated, a vertical focused on the intersection of race and sports, has seen key staffers leave for other publications, stoking concern about the site’s future. — Alex Putterman, courant.com, "Journalism at ESPN: Sports network seeks to be about more than wins, losses and debate," 7 June 2019 Amazon has unveiled the latest version of its Prime Air delivery drone, a hybrid aircraft that’s capable of vertical take off and landing as well as sustained forward flight. — James Vincent, The Verge, "Here’s Amazon’s new transforming Prime Air delivery drone," 5 June 2019 The Sero takes our rampant love for vertical to its next logical step. — Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics, "Samsung Is Making a Vertical TV Because of Millennials," 29 Apr. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near vertical

vertical blanking interval

Statistics for vertical

Last Updated

9 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for vertical

The first known use of vertical was in 1559

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More Definitions for vertical

vertical

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of vertical

: positioned up and down rather than from side to side : going straight up

: having a structure in which there are top, middle, and bottom levels

See the full definition for vertical in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vertical

adjective

ver·ti·cal | \ ˈvər-ti-kəl

Kids Definition of vertical

(Entry 1 of 2)

: rising straight up and down from a level surface

vertical

noun

Kids Definition of vertical (Entry 2 of 2)

: something (as a line or plane) that rises straight up and down

vertical

adjective

ver·ti·cal | \ ˈvərt-i-kəl

Medical Definition of vertical

: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by genetic inheritance or by a congenital or perinatal route vertical transmission of the hepatitis B virus from mother to infant vertical inheritance — compare horizontal sense 2