rectilinear
adjective
rec·ti·lin·e·ar ˌrek-tə-ˈli-nē-ər 
1
: moving in or forming a straight line
rectilinear motion
2
: characterized by straight lines
the rectilinear skyline of a modern city
3
: perpendicular sense 3
rectilinearity
ˌrek-tə-ˌli-nē-ˈer-ə-tē
noun -ˈa-rə-tē
rectilinearly adverb
Example Sentences
the rectilinear skyline of a modern city
Recent Examples on the Web Otherwise, rectilinear geometry unites the home and the step-down. 
Kathryn O’shea-evans, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 The potbelly appeal of scallops is also charming fashion and jewelry designers, who recognize that the motif suits our equally non-rectilinear human frames. Kathryn O’shea-evans, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 The CubeSats's goal is to enter an elongated orbit, which is a near rectilinear halo orbit, around the moon for at least six months for research purposes. Megan Marples, CNN, 6 July 2022 Once at the moon, CAPSTONE will enter an orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO. Julia Musto, Fox News, 28 June 2022 The orbit, which is called a near rectilinear halo orbit, is very elongated and provides stability for long-term missions while requiring little energy to maintain – which is exactly what the Gateway will need. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 28 June 2022 The circa 1870s brick facade remains intact, but behind it the home explodes into a three-story rectilinear white form punctuated by a line of windows. Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2022 Moreover, the distortion effect is ever elusive to the onlooker: each and every line that looks warped in one’s visual periphery becomes rectilinear when viewed directly. Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2022 In the Warped Grid Illusion, the high spatial frequencies arise from the rectilinear grid, and the low spatial frequencies from the designs formed by cobblestones of like colors. Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2022 See More
Kathryn O’shea-evans, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 The potbelly appeal of scallops is also charming fashion and jewelry designers, who recognize that the motif suits our equally non-rectilinear human frames. Kathryn O’shea-evans, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 The CubeSats's goal is to enter an elongated orbit, which is a near rectilinear halo orbit, around the moon for at least six months for research purposes. Megan Marples, CNN, 6 July 2022 Once at the moon, CAPSTONE will enter an orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO. Julia Musto, Fox News, 28 June 2022 The orbit, which is called a near rectilinear halo orbit, is very elongated and provides stability for long-term missions while requiring little energy to maintain – which is exactly what the Gateway will need. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 28 June 2022 The circa 1870s brick facade remains intact, but behind it the home explodes into a three-story rectilinear white form punctuated by a line of windows. Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2022 Moreover, the distortion effect is ever elusive to the onlooker: each and every line that looks warped in one’s visual periphery becomes rectilinear when viewed directly. Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2022 In the Warped Grid Illusion, the high spatial frequencies arise from the rectilinear grid, and the low spatial frequencies from the designs formed by cobblestones of like colors. Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Late Latin rectilineus, from Latin rectus + linea line
First Known Use
1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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