perpendicular

[ pur-puhn-dik-yuh-ler ]

See synonyms for: perpendicular perpendicularity on Thesaurus.com

adjective

vertical; straight up and down; upright.
Geometry. meeting a given line or surface at right angles.

maintaining a standing or upright position; standing up.
having a sharp pitch or slope; steep.
(initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to the last style of English Gothic architecture, prevailing from the late 14th through the early 16th century and characterized by the use of predominantly vertical tracery, an overall linear, shallow effect, and fine intricate stonework.

noun

a perpendicular line or plane.
an instrument for indicating the vertical line from any point.

an upright position.
a sharply pitched or precipitously steep mountain face.
moral virtue or uprightness; rectitude.
Nautical. either of two lines perpendicular to the keel line, base line, or designed water line of a vessel.

Origin of perpendicular

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin perpendiculāris “vertical,” equivalent to perpendicul(um) “plumb line” (see perpend², -i-, -cule²) + -āris-ar¹; replacing Middle English perpendiculer(e) (adjective and adverb), from Old French perpendiculiere

synonym study For perpendicular

1. See upright.

Other words for perpendicular

standing

See synonyms for perpendicular on Thesaurus.com

Other words from perpendicular

per·pen·dic·u·lar·i·ty, per·pen·dic·u·lar·ness, noun
per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly, adverb
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar, adjective, noun
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly, adverb
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar·i·ty, noun
un·per·pen·dic·u·lar, adjective
un·per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly, adverb

Words Nearby perpendicular

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use perpendicular in a sentence

Put your feet on the socks, and start in a standard push-up position, with your hands on the yoga mat, your body perpendicular to the mat.
Jessie Diggins's Killer 8-Minute Core Workout | Hayden Carpenter | October 30, 2020 | Outside Online
To start, stand on the hill perpendicular to the slope, with your uphill edges dug in.
6 Easy Ways to Be a Better Skier | Heather Hansman | October 1, 2020 | Outside Online
Even if you’ve mastered fall-line skiing elsewhere, when you get into steep terrain, your instinct might still be to move sideways, swinging your whole body around with each turn and finishing with your skis perpendicular to the slope.
6 Easy Ways to Be a Better Skier | Heather Hansman | October 1, 2020 | Outside Online
Aggressively working 550 cord perpendicular across a zip tie will weaken the plastic until it eventually breaks.
This essential survival tool can save your life 10 different ways | By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life | September 15, 2020 | Popular-Science
Let the line from the origin to A and the origin to B, 2 perpendicular radii of a circle centered at the origin.
America’s Math Curriculum Doesn’t Add Up (Ep. 391) | Steven D. Levitt | October 3, 2019 | Freakonomics

In the parish churches, many of which are of great interest, the predominant styles are Decorated and perpendicular.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4 | Various
Among the perpendicular additions to the church last named may be noted a very beautiful oaken rood-screen.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 4 | Various
The water-piston is 10 inches in diameter, drawing and forcing 35 feet perpendicular, equal beam.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis Trevithick
Le Bouton was dominated by a perpendicular rock two thousand feet high.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
They were at the foot of one of the narrow almost perpendicular blocks that rose between Pine and California streets.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for perpendicular

perpendicular

/ (ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjʊlə) /

adjective

Also: normal at right angles to a horizontal plane
denoting, relating to, or having the style of Gothic architecture used in England during the 14th and 15th centuries, characterized by tracery having vertical lines, a four-centred arch, and fan vaulting

upright; vertical

noun

geometry a line or plane perpendicular to another
any instrument used for indicating the vertical line through a given point

mountaineering a nearly vertical face

Origin of perpendicular

C14: from Latin perpendiculāris, from perpendiculum a plumb line, from per- through + pendēre to hang

Derived forms of perpendicular

perpendicularity (ˌpɜːpənˌdɪkjʊˈlærɪtɪ), noun
perpendicularly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for perpendicular

perpendicular

[ pûr′pən-dĭk′yə-lər ]

Adjective

Intersecting at or forming a right angle or right angles.

Noun

A line or plane that is perpendicular to a given line or plane.

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