longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈtüd-nəl 
-ˈtyüd-,
-ˈt(y)ü-dᵊn-əl,
British also ˌläŋ-gə-
1
: placed or running lengthwise
The insect's back is black with yellow longitudinal stripes.
2
: of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
the longitudinal extent of the building
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables
a longitudinal study of juvenile offenders over a period of five years
longitudinally
adverb
Examples of longitudinal in a Sentence
The insect's body is black with yellow longitudinal stripes.
calculating the longitudinal position of a ship
a longitudinal study of career aspirations among girls from 5 to 17
Recent Examples on the Web
The findings join others from previous longitudinal studies.
—
Carlton Reid, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Child safety advocates have spent years claiming that music, video games and social media are inherently bad for teens, with few longitudinal studies to back up this claim.
—Megan Morrone, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
On the driver's side, there's a longitudinal sofa bench that pulls out straight to the kitchen block at night to create a cozy double bed.
—New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2024
The wheelbase was stretched out, enabling the engine to rotate 90º from the 308’s transverse layout to a longitudinal one.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longitudinal 
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Carlton Reid, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Child safety advocates have spent years claiming that music, video games and social media are inherently bad for teens, with few longitudinal studies to back up this claim.
—Megan Morrone, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
On the driver's side, there's a longitudinal sofa bench that pulls out straight to the kitchen block at night to create a cozy double bed.
—New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2024
The wheelbase was stretched out, enabling the engine to rotate 90º from the 308’s transverse layout to a longitudinal one.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for longitudinal
Dictionary Entries Near longitudinal
Cite this Entry
“Longitudinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longitudinal. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-nəl
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of or relating to length
2
: placed or running lengthwise
longitudinally
adverb
-ē
Medical Definition
longitudinal
adjective
lon·gi·tu·di·nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-ᵊn-əl, -nəl, British also ˌläŋ-gə-ˈtyüd-
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the lengthwise dimension
a longitudinal bone fracture
2
: extending along or relating to the anteroposterior axis of a body or part
a trypanosome which reproduces by longitudinal fission
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables (as general health, the state of a disease, or mortality)
a longitudinal study of heart transplant recipients over a five-year period
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