vertical

adjective

ver·​ti·​cal ˈvər-ti-kəl 

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

3

a

: 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

vertical noun

verticality

ˌvər-tə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

vertically

ˈvər-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

verticalness

ˈvər-ti-kəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

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

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

Installing Garden Structures Garden structures add vertical interest to the garden and maximize the space in a small garden by keeping vines and climbing vegetables from taking over the ground. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025

The lander touched down at 3:34 a.m. after running through a powered descent 12 minutes out bringing the lander into a vertical position and slowing down from 3,800 mph to about 90 mph. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025

Among the various drills that players can participate in during the NFL Combine are the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, 60-yard shuttle, 3-cone drill, vertical jump, broad jump, bench press, and position-specific drills, including passing drills for the quarterbacks. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025

Because Denali rises from a plateau that’s only two thousand feet above sea level, its twin peaks gain eighteen thousand feet from its base — a full six thousand more in vertical rise than Everest from its base. —Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing vertical

• vertical angle
• vertical circle
• vertical file
• vertical union

Kids Definition

vertical

1 of 2 adjective

ver·​ti·​cal

ˈvərt-i-kəl

1

: directly overhead

2

: going straight up or down from a level surface

3

: of or relating to persons of higher or lower standing

a vertical social order

vertically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb

vertical

2 of 2 noun

1

: something (as a line or plane) that is vertical

2

: a vertical direction

Etymology

from early French vertical or Latin verticalis, both meaning "relating to a vertex, at the highest point overhead," from earlier Latin vertic-, vertex "top, highest point, pole (turning point), whirl," from vertere "to turn" — related to converse, reverse, universe, versatile

Medical Definition

vertical

adjective

ver·​ti·​cal ˈvərt-i-kəl 

: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by genetic inheritance or by a congenital or perinatal route

vertical transmission of the hepatitis B virus from mother to infant

vertical inheritance

compare horizontal sense 2

vertically

ˈvərt-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb