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
Most regular guests arrive by the lengthy winding mountain road, or by catamaran from Lucerne followed by a funicular railway, 929 metres long and rising 434 metres.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 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
They start along the terrace toward the station of the funicular railway.
From Europe After 8:15 by Thomas H. Benton
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
Unlike traditional funiculars, the two cars on the Gloria funicular are powered by electric motors.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2025
A few private transit undertakings had varyingly formed, re-formed, gone bankrupt, been taken over or combined since the late 19th century, using cable cars, horse-drawn cars, funiculars, electric trolleys — all manner of movable systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2021
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
In the application of the method to more complicated cases there are two systems of fixed points corresponding to F, by means of which the sides of the funiculars are drawn.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various
Definitions 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.
