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Orthogonal: meaning, definitions and examples

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orthogonal

 

[ ɔːˈθɒɡən(ə)l ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

mathematics

Of or involving right angles; at right angles.

Synonyms

90-degree, perpendicular, right-angled

Examples of usage

  • The vectors are orthogonal to each other.
  • The lines are orthogonal.
Context #2 | Adjective

physics

Unrelated; independent in terms of variables or factors.

Synonyms

independent, uncorrelated, unrelated

Examples of usage

  • The two variables are orthogonal to each other.

Translations

Translations of the word "orthogonal" in other languages:

🇵🇹 ortogonal

🇮🇳 लंबवत

🇩🇪 orthogonal

🇮🇩 ortogonal

🇺🇦 ортогональний

🇵🇱 ortogonalny

🇯🇵 直交

🇫🇷 orthogonal

🇪🇸 ortogonal

🇹🇷 dik

🇰🇷 직교

🇸🇦 متعامد

🇨🇿 ortogonální

🇸🇰 ortogonálny

🇨🇳 正交

🇸🇮 ortogonalen

🇮🇸 rétt-horn

🇰🇿 ортогональ

🇬🇪 ორთოგონალური

🇦🇿 ortoqonal

🇲🇽 ortogonal

Etymology

The word 'orthogonal' originated from the Greek word 'orthogōnios', which is a combination of 'orthos' meaning 'straight' or 'right' and 'gōnia' meaning 'angle'. The term was first used in mathematics to describe perpendicular lines or vectors. Over time, the concept of orthogonality has been extended to various fields such as physics, engineering, and computer science, where it denotes independence or lack of correlation. The notion of orthogonality plays a crucial role in many mathematical and scientific disciplines.

See also: orthogonality, orthogonally.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,402, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.