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
This crazy star seems to communicate with a smaller, five-pointed star to its upper right that is mainly light blue, though its loose weave of horizontal and vertical marks also contains other colors.
—Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Featuring a single horizontal screen that effectively replaces the traditional dashboard, the minimalist cabin is yet another example of Nakamura’s design philosophy that centers on clean lines, quality materials and user-centric functionality.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Here, somewhere along this horizontal strip of sand, my parents would one day play with my children.
—Zining Mok, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2024
While in the Authenticator section of the app, tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen to open a menu.
—PCMAG, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horizontal 
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Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Featuring a single horizontal screen that effectively replaces the traditional dashboard, the minimalist cabin is yet another example of Nakamura’s design philosophy that centers on clean lines, quality materials and user-centric functionality.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Here, somewhere along this horizontal strip of sand, my parents would one day play with my children.
—Zining Mok, Longreads, 22 Oct. 2024
While in the Authenticator section of the app, tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner of the screen to open a menu.
—PCMAG, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horizontal
Dictionary Entries Near horizontal
Cite this Entry
“Horizontal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horizontal. Accessed 22 Nov. 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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