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
Cynthia B. Cohen
vertical
noun
Examples of vertical in a Sentence
a shirt with vertical stripes
the vertical axis of a graph
Recent Examples on the Web
The grain will either be vertical or horizontal.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
An unlikely ski phenom from Indiana, who first drew attention in the park of his 400-vertical foot local hill, Nick is a three-time Olympic medalist … in slopestyle.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
Find a spot for cleaning supplies in nearly every room by using vertical space in closets, over-the-door storage, or even a rolling cart that can move from room to room.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Wooden dhows sailing along the coastline deliver fresh catch, vegetables are grown in a vertical garden inside a greenhouse, and cakes worthy of a Swedish fika are baked onsite.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vertical
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Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2026
An unlikely ski phenom from Indiana, who first drew attention in the park of his 400-vertical foot local hill, Nick is a three-time Olympic medalist … in slopestyle.
—Outside Online, 31 Dec. 2025
Find a spot for cleaning supplies in nearly every room by using vertical space in closets, over-the-door storage, or even a rolling cart that can move from room to room.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
Wooden dhows sailing along the coastline deliver fresh catch, vegetables are grown in a vertical garden inside a greenhouse, and cakes worthy of a Swedish fika are baked onsite.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vertical
Cite this Entry
“Vertical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertical. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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