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Definitions

perpendicular

[pur-puhn-dik-yuh-ler] / ˌpɜr pənˈdɪk jə lər /
ADJECTIVE
meeting at right angles
Synonyms
STRONGEST


ADJECTIVE
straight up and down; standing up
Synonyms
Antonyms
ADJECTIVE
having a sharp pitch or slope
Synonyms
STRONGEST
STRONG


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

They would then have to undergo a conversion from matter into energy and back into matter, producing new baryons that move outward perpendicular to the beam.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Hammerheads stand out from other shark species by the distinctive shape of their heads, which stick out perpendicular to their bodies in the shape of, well, a hammer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

His awkward angle, coming from beyond the perpendicular, with the ability to move the ball away from right-handers makes him very challenging for a batter to line up.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

In the end, some 8,000 small seismic events were induced along the targeted fault, but also, surprisingly, along other faults running perpendicular to the main one, sparking local magnitudes ranging from -5 to -0.14.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

The first principle was that charged particles moving in a perpendicular direction through a magnetic field follow a curved path.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

She uses a measuring stick to set the plants an equal distance apart, and as the beds are connected, the effect is one of perfectly aligned diagonals and perpendiculars.

From New York Times ● Jul. 1, 2010

Under those glorious perpendiculars . . . this gesticulating gigolo in gilt.

From Time Magazine Archive

As it appeareth in the next figure, of the lines ae and io, unto which the perpendiculars uy and us, from the Center u, are equall.

From The Way To Geometry by William Bedwell

Measure from A to B by holding the tape taut and level, dropping perpendiculars when necessary by means of the plumb line, as shown in the figure.

From The Teaching of Geometry by David Eugene Smith

Erect perpendiculars at these points, and from the corresponding points on the dotted circle project lines parallel to 08; the intersections with the perpendiculars give points on the sine curve.

From Hawkins Electrical Guide, Number One Questions, Answers, & Illustrations, A Progressive Course of Study for Engineers, Electricians, Students and Those Desiring to acquire a Working Knowledge of Electricity and its Applications by Nehemiah Hawkins


Vocabulary lists containing perpendicular

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