parabolic
1 Americanadjective
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having the form or outline of a parabola.
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having a longitudinal section in the form of a paraboloid or parabola.
a parabolic reflector.
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of or relating to a parabola.
adjective
adjective
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of, relating to, or shaped like a parabola
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shaped like a paraboloid
a parabolic mirror
adjective
Other Word Forms
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 either relates to a simple story used to teach a moral lesson (a parable) or resembles the U-shaped curve found in math and physics (a parabola). If your grandfather's stories always end with him saying, "And the moral of this story is..." then you can describe his stories 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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A bull market supported by several sectors is much sturdier than one balanced on a tower of parabolic semiconductor stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Here soaring horns sit atop dripping, spattered masses, the high polish and sharp points of the parabolic shapes complementing the curvaceous, organically decorated bases below.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Interlune has tested some of its equipment during parabolic flights, in which a plane flies in a big arc to simulate zero gravity.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
The parabolic rise in chip stocks still has many recalling the surges, and eventual end, of the dot-com boom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 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
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.
