parabolic

¹ American  

[par-uh-bol-ik] / ˌpær əˈbɒl ɪk /

adjective

1. having the form or outline of a parabola.

2. having a longitudinal section in the form of a paraboloid or parabola.

   a parabolic reflector.

3. of or relating to a parabola.

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parabolic ² American  

[par-uh-bol-ik] / ˌpær əˈbɒl ɪk /

Sometimes parabolical

adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving a parable.

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parabolic ¹ British  

/ ˌpærəˈbɒlɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or shaped like a parabola

2. shaped like a paraboloid

   a parabolic mirror

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parabolic ² British  

/ ˌpærəˈbɒlɪk /

adjective

1. of or resembling a parable

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Other Word Forms

• nonparabolical adjective
• nonparabolically adverb
• parabolicalism noun
• parabolically adverb

Etymology

Origin of parabolic¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; parabol(a) + -ic

Origin of parabolic²

1650–60; < Late Latin parabolicus metaphoric < Late Greek parabolikós figurative, equivalent to Greek parabol ( ḗ ) parable + -ikos -ic

Explanation

Something that's parabolic symbolizes something or teaches a simple lesson. Many fables and Bible stories are parabolic. If your grandfather's stories always end with him saying, "And the moral of this story is..." then you can describe them as parabolic. They are parables, in other words, tales that try to teach a moral or religious lesson. Another way to use the adjective parabolic is to mean "like a parabola," or a mathematical curve on a graph. The Greek root of parabolic is parabolikos, "figurative," from parabole, "comparison or parable," or literally "a throwing beside."

Example Sentences

As first-quarter earnings loom “amidst parabolic AI revenue inflections at foundational model leaders,” Citi Research analysts expect the concerns around the durability of business models for software-as-a-service companies to intensify in the months ahead.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

And one thing we’ve learned about commodity markets is that it doesn’t take much speculative money to make them go parabolic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Pointing to gold’s parabolic climb in recent months, which recently pushed it above $5,600 a troy ounce, he added, “There is no liquidity. It went up. On what?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

For proof, check out the parabolic growth of meme stocks, which have often benefited from the power of the retail trader.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

We waded into the crowd, hands linked, our snaking line slightly parabolic in the middle where Olive buoyed up like an astronaut walking on the moon.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Related Words

• figurative
• metaphorical