vertical

[ vur-ti-kuhl ]

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.

noun

1. something vertical, as a line or plane.
2. a vertical or upright position.
3. a vertical structural member in a truss.

vertical

/ 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 amalgamation

   vertical integration

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

noun

1. a vertical plane, position, or line
2. a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member

Derived Forms

• ˈvertically, adverb
• verticality, noun

Other Words From

• verti·cali·ty verti·cal·ness verti·cal·ism noun
• verti·cal·ly adverb
• non·verti·cal adjective
• non·verti·cal·ly adverb
• non·verti·cal·ness noun
• nonver·ti·cali·ty noun
• sub·verti·cal adjective
• sub·verti·cal·ly adverb
• sub·verti·cal·ness noun
• un·verti·cal adjective
• un·verti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vertical¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vertical¹

C16: from Late Latin verticālis, from Latin vertex

Synonym Study

See upright.

Example Sentences

Tielemans and Luiz may attempt a similar number of passes but Tielemans’ are more vertical and direct, explaining why Villa’s possession share has dropped.

From BBC

Lilium's aircraft uses 30 electric jets that can be tilted in unison to swing between vertical lift and forward flight.

From BBC

Vertical Aerospace says it will deliver 150 aircraft to its customers by the end of the decade.

From BBC

As of September, Vertical had $57.4m on hand – but it expects to burn through nearly double that over the coming year.

From BBC

He has offered to invest $75m into the business – and has warned the board of Vertical that rejecting his plan would inevitably lead to insolvency proceedings.

From BBC

Related Words

• perpendicular
• steep