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
Derived 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 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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The parabolic performance of his hedge fund has given the 24-year-old Aschenbrenner a fan club on Wall Street, too.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
“You’re basically looking at stocks that have had some version of either sharp uptrends or parabolic moves, moving even higher. That’s a sign of speculation,” Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, told Barron’s.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
"And don't forget the parabolic flights, they're also awesome fun."
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
But despite the parabolic rally, the stock is still surprisingly cheap, analysts are noting.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
I wasn’t sure where we’d gone since the lessons in parabolic ratios the week before.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
