trajectory
noun
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Formed with part of the prefix trans-, "across", trajectory means a "hurling across". By calculating the effect of gravity and other forces, the trajectory of an object launched into space at a known speed can be computed precisely. Missiles stand a chance of hitting their target only if their trajectory has been plotted accurately. The word is used most often in physics and engineering, but not always; we can also say, for example, that the trajectory of a whole life may be set in a person's youth, or that a new book traces the long trajectory of the French empire.
Examples of trajectory in a Sentence
Matt Minton, Variety, 10 May 2025
The status quo trajectory is unsustainable and has allowed unacceptable risks to fester.
—John Feng
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
The downward trajectory of Twain’s life shadows his story in elements of Greek tragedy.
—Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
That was really what launched me into this trajectory of now just being known for comedy.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trajectory
Cite this Entry
“Trajectory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trajectory. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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trajectory
noun
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