horizontal

American  

[hawr-uh-zon-tl, hor-] / ˌhɔr əˈzɒn tl, ˌhɒr- /

adjective

1. at right angles to the vertical; parallel to level ground.

2. flat or level.

   a horizontal position.

3. being in a prone or supine position; recumbent.

   His bad back has kept him horizontal for a week.

4. near, on, or parallel to the horizon.

5. of or relating to the horizon.

6. measured or contained in a plane parallel to the horizon.

   a horizontal distance.

7. (of material on a printed page, pieces on a game board, etc.) extending across, from the left to the right of the viewer.

8. of or relating to a position or individual of similar status.

   He received a horizontal promotion to a different department, retaining his old salary and title.

9. Economics. of or relating to companies, affiliates, divisions, etc., that perform the same or similar functions or produce the same or similar products.

   Through horizontal mergers the company monopolized its field.

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noun

1. anything horizontal, as a plane, direction, or object.

horizontal British  

/ ˌhɒrɪˈzɒntəl /

adjective

1. parallel to the plane of the horizon; level; flat Compare vertical

2. of or relating to the horizon

3. measured or contained in a plane parallel to that of the horizon

4. applied uniformly or equally to all members of a group

5. economics relating to identical stages of commercial activity

   horizontal integration

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noun

1. a horizontal plane, position, line, etc

Other Word Forms

• horizontality noun
• horizontally adverb
• horizontalness noun
• subhorizontal adjective
• subhorizontally adverb
• subhorizontalness noun
• unhorizontal adjective
• unhorizontally adverb

Etymology

Origin of horizontal

1545–55; < Latin horizont- (stem of horizōn ) horizon + -al ¹

Example Sentences

However, they are typically more expensive and less commonly used, as they require either a deep bore hole or a horizontal system dug into the ground over a large area.

From BBC

Yet collectively they suggest a frieze on an antique sarcophagus, aligned on the rosy ledge across the bottom of the painting, their heads forming a horizontal row with that of Jesus.

From The Wall Street Journal

The interior’s centerpiece is the dash console: two large and thickly padded horizontal bolsters stretching door to door, wrapped in glove-soft faux leather, with a middle tier of naturally grained wood.

From The Wall Street Journal

Only about a yard of this is visible; the rest is wound on horizontal spindles.

From The Wall Street Journal

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