longitudinal

[ lon-ji-tood-n-l, -tyood- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to longitude or length:

   longitudinal measurement.

2. extending in the direction of the length of a thing; running lengthwise:

   a thin, longitudinal stripe.

3. Zoology. pertaining to or extending along the long axis of the body, or the direction from front to back, or head to tail.
4. pertaining to a research design or survey in which the same subjects are observed repeatedly over a period of time.

noun

1. a longitudinal framing member, as in the hull of a ship.

longitudinal

/ ˌlɒŋɡ-; ˌlɒndʒɪˈtjuːdɪnəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to longitude or length
2. placed or extended lengthways Compare transverse
3. psychol (of a study of behaviour) carried on over a protracted period of time

Derived Forms

• ˌlongiˈtudinally, adverb

Other Words From

• longi·tudi·nal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of longitudinal¹

1535–45; < Latin longitūdin- (stem of longitūdō; longitude ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

But that isn’t true, Biggs said, who worked on the Turnaway Study, a longitudinal study examining the effects of unwanted pregnancy on women's lives which found that abortion isn’t linked to mental illness — though being denied one might.

From Salon

Greenberg added that state-of-the-art statistical tools that Rodebaugh and Frumkin have helped advance, such as "Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling," were key in analyzing the complex, longitudinal EMA data.

From Science Daily

Researchers have used mobile health data from Fitbit devices to monitor and measure recovery and compare activity levels over time but this research has shown that activity data, plus longitudinal assessment data, is more accurate in predicting how the patient will do after surgery, Greenberg said.

From Science Daily

It is the latest publication from the Apple Women's Health Study, a longitudinal study of menstrual cycles, gynecological conditions, and overall women's health conducted by Harvard Chan School, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and Apple.

From Science Daily

"This is a possibility that should be examined in large-scale longitudinal studies that heavily sample brain and behavioral measures during the first postnatal years."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• lengthwise
• long
• long-term