orthogonally
|or-tho-go-nal-ly|
🇺🇸
/ɔrˈθɑːɡənəl/
🇬🇧
/ɔːˈθɒɡənəl/
(orthogonal)
right-angled; independent
Etymology
'orthogonal' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'orthogonios', where 'orthos' meant 'straight' and 'gonia' meant 'angle'.
'orthogonal' passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin as 'orthogonalis' and entered English via scientific/learned Latin usage, eventually becoming the modern English 'orthogonal'.
Initially it meant 'forming a right angle' (literal sense); over time it retained that meaning and also acquired an extended technical/figurative sense of 'independent' or 'uncorrelated' in mathematics, engineering, and computing.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner forming a right angle; at 90 degrees; perpendicularly.
The two lines intersect orthogonally.
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Adverb 2
in a way that is independent or unrelated; without affecting each other (used figuratively, especially in mathematics, engineering, and computing).
The two design decisions were made orthogonally, so changing one won't affect the other.
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Last updated: 2025/09/04 12:41