horizontal
adjective
hor·i·zon·tal
ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzän-tᵊl 
ˌhär-
1
2
: relating to, directed toward, or consisting of individuals or entities of similar status or on the same level
horizontal mergers
horizontal hostility
3
medical
: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by physical contact or proximity in contrast with inheritance
Genes are normally inherited from parents, but they can also be inserted into a genome by viruses, plasmids, and other foreign agents—a phenomenon called horizontal transfer.—
Stephan Reebs
compare vertical sense 4
Stephan Reebs
horizontal
noun
Examples of horizontal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here, the top cabinets are a warm, yellow hue with vertical grooved panels while the lower cabinets have gray-yellow stain and horizontal lines and hardware.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2024
On most afternoons, before spectators were allowed inside the swimming venue at the Paris Olympics, seven men and women would silently march on to the pool deck to practice tethering flags to three horizontal white bars suspended from the ceiling.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
In panels like this, the liquid crystals aren’t twisted, but instead run parallel to the panel, in a horizontal orientation.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 3 Aug. 2024
Sawatzky was inspired by the iconic Bayeux Tapestry, and her work borrows a number of conceits from that 11th-century account of a Norman conquest, including its linear narrative and the playful dialogue between the scrolling, horizontal storyline and the border of the image.
—Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horizontal 
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2024
On most afternoons, before spectators were allowed inside the swimming venue at the Paris Olympics, seven men and women would silently march on to the pool deck to practice tethering flags to three horizontal white bars suspended from the ceiling.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2024
In panels like this, the liquid crystals aren’t twisted, but instead run parallel to the panel, in a horizontal orientation.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 3 Aug. 2024
Sawatzky was inspired by the iconic Bayeux Tapestry, and her work borrows a number of conceits from that 11th-century account of a Norman conquest, including its linear narrative and the playful dialogue between the scrolling, horizontal storyline and the border of the image.
—Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horizontal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horizontal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near horizontal
Cite this Entry
“Horizontal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horizontal. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
horizontal
adjective
hor·i·zon·tal
ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzänt-ᵊl, ˌhär-
1
: relating to or being a transverse plane or section of the body
2
a
: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by physical contact or proximity in contrast with inheritance compare vertical
b
: of or relating to horizontal gene transfer
Legal Definition
horizontal
adjective
hor·i·zon·tal
ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzän-təl, ˌhär-
: relating to, directed toward, or consisting of individuals or entities of similar status or on the same level
horizontally
adverb
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