Synonyms of perpendicular

perpendicular

adjective

ˌpər-pən-ˈdi-kyə-lər 

as in vertical

rising straight up

river rafters staring awestruck at the canyon's nearly perpendicular cliffs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vertical
• standing
• erect
• upright
• plumb
• lifted
• raised
• upstanding
• upraised
• elevated
• stand-up
• upended
• freestanding
• stand-alone
• semierect

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flat
• recumbent
• diagonal
• prostrate
• supine
• hanging
• slant
• sagging
• slanted
• slanting
• slanty

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective perpendicular differ from other similar words?

The words plumb and vertical are common synonyms of perpendicular. While all three words mean "being at right angles to a base line," 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

When is plumb a more appropriate choice than perpendicular?

While in some cases nearly identical to perpendicular, plumb stresses an exact verticality determined (as with a plumb line) by earth's gravity.

make sure that the wall is plumb

When is it sensible to use vertical instead of perpendicular?

While the synonyms vertical and perpendicular are close in meaning, vertical suggests a line or direction rising straight upward toward a zenith.

the side of the cliff is almost vertical

Examples of perpendicular in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Keeping your screwdriver or screw bit perpendicular to the screw head will also help. —Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024

Courtesy of Rhett Allain The angle at which the light hits the panel, θ, is measured from a line perpendicular to the surface. —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 26 July 2024

Though military officers typically wore their bicorne hats front to back, with the wings perpendicular to their shoulders, Napoleon began wearing his sideways, with the wings parallel to his shoulders. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024

The currents often flow perpendicular to the shoreline, moving water away from the surf and into the ocean. —Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY, 24 June 2024