vertical

[ vur-ti-kuhl ]

adjective

1. being in a position or direction perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb.

   Antonyms: horizontal

2. of, relating to, or situated at the vertex.
3. of or relating to the cranial vertex.
4. Botany.
   1. (of a leaf ) having the blade in a perpendicular plane, so that neither of the surfaces can be called upper or lower.
   2. being in the same direction as the axis; lengthwise.
5. of, constituting, or resulting in vertical combination.
6. of or relating to a product or service from initial planning to sale.
7. of, relating to, or noting a stratified society, nation, etc.

noun

1. something vertical, as a line or plane.
2. a vertical or upright position.
3. a vertical structural member in a truss.

vertical

/ ˌvɜːtɪˈkælɪtɪ; ˈvɜːtɪkəl /

adjective

1. at right angles to the horizon; perpendicular; upright Compare horizontal

   a vertical wall

2. extending in a perpendicular direction
3. at or in the vertex or zenith; directly overhead
4. economics of or relating to associated or consecutive, though not identical, stages of industrial activity

   vertical amalgamation

   vertical integration

5. of or relating to the vertex
6. anatomy of, relating to, or situated at the top of the head (vertex)

noun

1. a vertical plane, position, or line
2. a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member

Derived Forms

• ˈvertically, adverb
• verticality, noun

Other Words From

• verti·cali·ty verti·cal·ness verti·cal·ism noun
• verti·cal·ly adverb
• non·verti·cal adjective
• non·verti·cal·ly adverb
• non·verti·cal·ness noun
• nonver·ti·cali·ty noun
• sub·verti·cal adjective
• sub·verti·cal·ly adverb
• sub·verti·cal·ness noun
• un·verti·cal adjective
• un·verti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vertical¹

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin verticālis, equivalent to vertic- (stem of vertex ) vertex + -ālis -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of vertical¹

C16: from Late Latin verticālis, from Latin vertex

Synonym Study

See upright.

Example Sentences

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Turner said, adding that the Rams must rush with “vertical violence” and “assault the pocket” to contain Allen.

From Los Angeles Times

Studying the fluid dynamics of manta rays also played a key role in controlling the vertical movement of the soft robot.

From Science Daily

"When manta rays swim, they produce two jets of water that move them forward. Mantas alter their trajectory by altering their swimming motion. We adopted a similar technique for controlling the vertical movement of this swimming robot. We're still working on techniques that will give us fine control over lateral movements."

From Science Daily

"And with only a single actuation input, our robot can navigate a complex vertical environment. We are now working on improving lateral movement, and exploring other modes of actuation, which will significantly enhance this system's capabilities. Our goal is to do this with a design that retains that elegant simplicity."

From Science Daily

The horrific, lethal, split-second impact comes in frame 313, seven rows up from the bottom and 16 frames to the right, where a burst of vertical light interrupts the horizontal flow of the terrible pictorial narrative.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• perpendicular
• steep