vertical

American  

[vur-ti-kuhl] / ˈvɜr tɪ kəl /

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.

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noun

1. something vertical, as a line or plane.

2. a vertical or upright position.

3. a vertical structural member in a truss.

vertical British  

/ 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 integration

   vertical amalgamation

5. of or relating to the vertex

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

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noun

1. a vertical plane, position, or line

2. a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member

Related Words

See upright.

Other Word Forms

• nonvertical adjective
• nonverticality noun
• nonvertically adverb
• nonverticalness noun
• subvertical adjective
• subvertically adverb
• subverticalness noun
• unvertical adjective
• unvertically adverb
• verticalism noun
• verticality noun
• vertically adverb
• verticalness noun

Etymology

Origin of vertical

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

Example Sentences

Three vertical screens show computer-generated landmarks of 18 world’s fairs arrayed in interstellar space—most familiar from this exhibition—slowly rotating as people cross walkways between them.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a bid for greater user engagement, Walt Disney Co. will introduce vertical videos to its Disney+ app over the next year, a company executive said Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

The most dramatic vertical movement was observed directly beneath the lake.

From Science Daily

AT&T wants a low-rise, horizontal campus rather than its current high-rise, vertical downtown headquarters, and the company couldn’t find a downtown land parcel large enough for it, said a person familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

He thinks that while some investors may also be losing patience as to when value gets unlocked from the vertical strategy that Telus has been pursuing.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• perpendicular
• steep