vertical

American  

[vur-ti-kuhl] / ˈvɜr tɪ kəl /

adjective

1. being in a position or direction perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb.

   Antonyms:

   horizontal

2. of, relating to, or situated at the vertex.

3. of or relating to the cranial vertex.

4. Botany.

   1. (of a leaf ) having the blade in a perpendicular plane, so that neither of the surfaces can be called upper or lower.

   2. being in the same direction as the axis; lengthwise.

5. of, constituting, or resulting in vertical combination.

6. of or relating to a product or service from initial planning to sale.

7. of, relating to, or noting a stratified society, nation, etc.

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noun

1. something vertical, as a line or plane.

2. a vertical or upright position.

3. a vertical structural member in a truss.

vertical British  

/ ˌvɜːtɪˈkælɪtɪ, ˈvɜːtɪkəl /

adjective

1. at right angles to the horizon; perpendicular; upright Compare horizontal

   a vertical wall

2. extending in a perpendicular direction

3. at or in the vertex or zenith; directly overhead

4. economics of or relating to associated or consecutive, though not identical, stages of industrial activity

   vertical integration

   vertical amalgamation

5. of or relating to the vertex

6. anatomy of, relating to, or situated at the top of the head (vertex)

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noun

1. a vertical plane, position, or line

2. a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member

Related Words

See upright.

Other Word Forms

• nonvertical adjective
• nonverticality noun
• nonvertically adverb
• nonverticalness noun
• subvertical adjective
• subvertically adverb
• subverticalness noun
• unvertical adjective
• unvertically adverb
• verticalism noun
• verticality noun
• vertically adverb
• verticalness noun

Etymology

Origin of vertical

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin verticālis, equivalent to vertic- (stem of vertex ) vertex + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Vertical describes something that rises straight up from a horizontal line or plane. A telephone pole or a tree can usually be described as vertical in relation to the ground. The walls of your house — unless there's some terrible problem — are vertical. They rise straight up from the foundation, at a ninety degree angle. When you're standing up, you're vertical, as opposed to when you lie down in a horizontal position on the couch. The terms vertical and horizontal often describe directions: a vertical line goes up and down, and a horizontal line goes across. You can remember which direction is vertical by the letter, "v," which points down.

Example Sentences

The vertical integration of the lighting, the merch, how those imagistic components correlate to the music.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

They are rugged concrete basins with shells fixed to vertical man-made walls.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

The flights are part of the electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, Integration Pilot Program, or eIPP, launched by the Transportation Department in 2025 to accelerate the development and adoption of air taxis.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Investors are seeking defensive moats in vertical software, and in horizontal-software products that control workflow, to withstand AI competition.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

We crunched past the little houses perched precariously on the nearly vertical slope on both sides of us.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• perpendicular
• steep