perpendicular

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌpɜrpənˈdɪkjələr/ UK /ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjələ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
at a right angle to a given line or surface; exactly upright

Draw a line perpendicular to the base to find the triangle's height.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · at a right angle to a given... upright vertical plumb orthogonal erect normal

Opposites

parallel horizontal oblique

Word family

Forms perpendicularly

Derived forms perpendicularlyperpendicularity

Related forms pendant pendulum append depend

Simplified etymology

Perpendicular entered late Middle English from Latin perpendiculum “plumb line,” formed from per- “through” and pendere “to hang.” The first recorded use of its looser sense “very steep” occurs in Shakespeare.

Etymology

From Latin perpendicularis ('vertical'), from perpendiculum ('a plumb line'), from per- ('thoroughly') + pendere ('to hang, weigh').

perpendiculum Latin pendere Latin *(s)pen- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# perpendicular

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɜrpənˈdɪkjələr/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjələ/

## Meanings
1. at a right angle to a given line or surface; exactly upright

## Examples
- Draw a line perpendicular to the base to find the triangle's height.

## Synonyms
- upright
- vertical
- plumb
- orthogonal
- erect
- normal

## Antonyms
- parallel
- horizontal
- oblique

## Derived Forms
- perpendicularly
- perpendicularity

## Related Forms
- pendant
- pendulum
- append
- depend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perpendiculum
- Root: pendere
- Root: *(s)pen-

## Etymology
From Latin perpendicularis ('vertical'), from perpendiculum ('a plumb line'), from per- ('thoroughly') + pendere ('to hang, weigh').

## AI Etymology
Perpendicular comes from Latin perpendicularis ('vertical'), from perpendiculum ('a plumb line'), from per- ('thoroughly') + pendere ('to hang, weigh'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective and noun, it carries the sense "at a right angle to a given line or surface; exactly upright", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin perpendiculum, Latin pendere, and Proto-Indo-European *(s)pen-. Derivative forms include perpendicularly, perpendicularity; related words include pendant, pendulum, append, depend.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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