vertical
Americanadjective
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being in a position or direction perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb.
- Antonyms:
- horizontal
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of, relating to, or situated at the vertex.
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of or relating to the cranial vertex.
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Botany.
-
(of a leaf ) having the blade in a perpendicular plane, so that neither of the surfaces can be called upper or lower.
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being in the same direction as the axis; lengthwise.
-
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of, constituting, or resulting in vertical combination.
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of or relating to a product or service from initial planning to sale.
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of, relating to, or noting a stratified society, nation, etc.
noun
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something vertical, as a line or plane.
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a vertical or upright position.
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a vertical structural member in a truss.
adjective
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at right angles to the horizon; perpendicular; upright Compare horizontal
a vertical wall
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extending in a perpendicular direction
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at or in the vertex or zenith; directly overhead
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economics of or relating to associated or consecutive, though not identical, stages of industrial activity
vertical integration
vertical amalgamation
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of or relating to the vertex
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anatomy of, relating to, or situated at the top of the head (vertex)
noun
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a vertical plane, position, or line
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a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member
Synonym Usage
See upright.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonverticalitynoun
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nonverticalnessnoun
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subverticalnessnoun
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verticalismnoun
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verticalitynoun
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verticalnessnoun
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nonverticaladjective
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subverticaladjective
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unverticaladjective
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nonverticallyadverb
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subverticallyadverb
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unverticallyadverb
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verticallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vertical
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin verticālis, equivalent to vertic- (stem of vertex ) vertex + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Vertical describes something that rises straight up from a horizontal line or plane. A telephone pole or a tree can usually be described as vertical in relation to the ground. The walls of your house — unless there's some terrible problem — are vertical. They rise straight up from the foundation, at a ninety degree angle. When you're standing up, you're vertical, as opposed to when you lie down in a horizontal position on the couch. The terms vertical and horizontal often describe directions: a vertical line goes up and down, and a horizontal line goes across. You can remember which direction is vertical by the letter, "v," which points down.
Vocabulary lists containing vertical
Expressions and Equations
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Geometry - Introductory
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The Number System
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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:
“Every time someone joins from their phone, they are in that vertical format, and you can absolutely tell,” she said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Their results suggest that enormous volumes of magma pushed through the existing plate, creating networks of vertical intrusions and chemically transforming the surrounding rock.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Poswolsky concludes that he's glad he's found flexibility and happiness through this career evolution rather than via a vertical corporate structure.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
She is the creator of the new vertical series “Manfari.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
For instance, writing the number 87 in the Egyptian system would require 15 symbols: eight heels and seven vertical marks.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
The deal includes New York Magazine’s popular verticals like The Cut, Vulture and Intelligencer, as well as Vox’s most successful podcasts like “Today, Explained” and “Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
While removal of the legal overhang allows management to concentrate on new business verticals as well as international expansion, Grosslight is opting to remain Neutral-rating until he sees renewed growth from those verticals and markets.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
“IP is at the center” — that’s short for intellectual property — “and then they can go execute across all the verticals, whether it’s experiential, merchandise, licensing, films, music, all of it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
Finally, Baird’s Joe Vruwink did an analysis of software names focused on specific verticals.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 29, 2025
From e and f raise verticals eM and fN, making them equal to perpendicular G, and draw line MN, which will be the same length as base, or 764 feet.
From The Theory and Practice of Perspective by Storey, G. A. (George Adolphus)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.