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vertical

adjective
ver·​ti·​cal | \ ˈvÉ™r-ti-kÉ™l How to pronounce vertical (audio) \

Definition of vertical

1a : perpendicular to the plane of the horizon or to a primary axis : upright
b(1) : located at right angles to the plane of a supporting surface
(2) : lying in the direction of an axis : lengthwise
2a : situated at the highest point : directly overhead or in the zenith
b of an aerial photograph : taken with the camera pointing straight down or nearly so
3a : relating to, involving, or integrating economic activity from basic production to point of sale a vertical monopoly
b : of, relating to, or comprising persons of different status the vertical arrangement of society
4 medical : relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by genetic inheritance or by a congenital or perinatal route vertical inheritance … decreasing the rate of vertical transmission of HIV to the fetus by two-thirds, so that the numbers of children with the condition are diminishing.— Cynthia B. Cohen — compare horizontal sense 3
Other Words from vertical Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about vertical

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Other Words from vertical

vertical noun
verticality \ ËŒvÉ™r-​tÉ™-​ˈka-​lÉ™-​tÄ“ How to pronounce verticality (audio) \ noun
vertically \ ˈvÉ™r-​ti-​k(É™-​)lÄ“ How to pronounce vertically (audio) \ adverb
verticalness \ ˈvÉ™r-​ti-​kÉ™l-​nÉ™s How to pronounce verticalness (audio) \ noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for vertical

Synonyms

erect, perpendicular, plumb, raised, stand-up, standing, upright, upstanding

Antonyms

flat, recumbent

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Choose the Right Synonym for vertical

vertical, perpendicular, plumb mean being at right angles to a base line. vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith. the side of the cliff is almost vertical perpendicular may stress the straightness of a line making a right angle with any other line, not necessarily a horizontal one. the parallel bars are perpendicular to the support posts plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity. make sure that the wall is plumb

Examples of vertical in a Sentence

a shirt with vertical stripes the vertical axis of a graph

Recent Examples on the Web

 Teams often are sending tight ends on vertical routes, forcing safeties to run with them and leaving cornerbacks isolated on receivers to create deep problems for defenses. — Washington Post, "Tight ends are evolving as pass-catching threats," 30 Aug. 2019 Take another example: vertical farms growing aeroponic fruits and vegetables without soil or sun, using radically less water in urban areas. — Sean Illing, Vox, "The climate crisis and the end of the golden era of food choice," 24 June 2019 Homegrown is an Indian media company with a culture website, an events vertical, and a creative agency that has partnered with major brands such as Nike, Absolut, Budweiser, and Adidas. — Aria Thaker, Quartz at Work, "How Indian media company Homegrown imploded in the wake of #MeToo," 11 June 2019 Other inventive storage solutions include bunk beds in the guest room to make use of vertical (rather than horizontal) space, as well as built-in drawers below the beds. — Nikhita Mahtani, House Beautiful, "We’d Honestly Move Into This 600-Square-Foot Pool House," 16 May 2019 Jack Griffin of Metropolis Farms was once hailed as a revolutionary for his plans to build a vertical farm and bring indoor agriculture to the masses. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Trump cancels Eagles celebration, Krasner wants list of tainted police | Morning Newsletter," 5 June 2018 Teams in Princeton work on research projects that Siemens business units bring to them, like developing a vertical farm equipped with sensors and vegetable-picking robots. — Lauren Weber, WSJ, "Now Fighting for Top Tech Talent: Makers of Turbines, Tools and Toyotas," 31 May 2018 This reliance on the global food trade brings opportunity, said Saudi Arabian entrepreneur Omar Al Jundi, who has built the Middle East's first commercial vertical farm in Dubai. — Rabiya Jaffery, The Christian Science Monitor, "UAE tries vertical farming to produce food with little water," 10 May 2018 In addition to sheltering up to 1,000 people, the building could house a first-aid station and even a vertical farm that could help feed its residents. — NBC News, "This inflatable skyscraper could save lives in disaster zones," 29 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vertical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of vertical

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

History and Etymology for vertical

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin verticalis, from Latin vertic-, vertex

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More Definitions for vertical

vertical

adjective
How to pronounce vertical (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of vertical

: positioned up and down rather than from side to side : going straight up
: having a structure in which there are top, middle, and bottom levels

See the full definition for vertical in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vertical

adjective
ver·​ti·​cal | \ ˈvÉ™r-ti-kÉ™l How to pronounce vertical (audio) \

Kids Definition of vertical

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: rising straight up and down from a level surface

Other Words from vertical

vertically adverb

vertical

noun

Kids Definition of vertical (Entry 2 of 2)

: something (as a line or plane) that rises st

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