funicular
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a rope or cord, or its tension.
-
worked by a rope or the like.
noun
-
funiculars
plural
noun
adjective
-
relating to or operated by a rope, cable, etc
-
of or relating to a funicle
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of funicular
Explanation
A funicular is a railway that goes up the side of a mountain. A funicular is pulled by a moving cable and involves complex, counterbalanced movements of the cars. It's a coincidence that the word fun is in funicular, though riding a funicular would likely be very fun indeed: it's a railway that goes up a mountain. The real origin of the word has to do with ropes, cables, and pulleys and the complex way these devices are used to move things: such processes were called funicular. From there, funicular became the name of a train that used a similar cable-operated system to move.
Vocabulary lists containing funicular
"Ellen Outside the Lines" by A.J. Sass, Chapters 21–33
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
And Both Were Young
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Silver Arrow
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Castello d’Albertis-Montegalletto line is called an elevator, or “ascensore,” but its small cabins are a combination of funicular, cable car and outdoor elevator that travel a vertical distance of around 250 feet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
There was a 2-year-old toddler, the youngest of the reunion attendees, and an 88-year-old who joined for multiple scheduled events, including a ride up a mountain in a funicular railway.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Located on a 5-acre lot on the edge of the lake, the dwelling is known as Crystal Pointe and offers direct access to the water via a unique hillside track that operates two funicular trams.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 2, 2026
The Portuguese victims included four members of staff from the same social care institution, whose offices sit at the top of the sheer side road serviced by the funicular.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
His funicular railway is one of the wonders of the place.
From Cities of the Dawn by J. Ewing (James Ewing) Ritchie
In the wake of the Gloria's derailment Lisbon's other funiculars have remained closed while investigators assess their safety.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2025
The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025
Historical L.A. had funiculars to carry people up and down our hills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2025
With trains, ferries, water buses, taxis, drivers, mountain cable cars and funiculars, bikes, e-bikes and hiking paths, “you can really explore the corners of Italy for quite a ways before you need a car.”
From Washington Post ● Aug. 5, 2021
I quite agree with those who object to "funiculars."
From More Science From an Easy Chair by Sir E. Ray (Edwin Ray) Lankester
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
