longitudinal

adjective

lon·​gi·​tu·​di·​nal ˌlän-jə-ˈtüd-nəl How to pronounce longitudinal (audio)
-ˈtyüd-,
-ˈt(y)ü-dᵊn-əl,
 British also  ˌläŋ-gə-
1
: placed or running lengthwise
The insect's back is black with yellow longitudinal stripes.
2
: of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
the longitudinal extent of the building
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables
a longitudinal study of juvenile offenders over a period of five years
longitudinally adverb

Examples of longitudinal in a Sentence

The insect's body is black with yellow longitudinal stripes. calculating the longitudinal position of a ship a longitudinal study of career aspirations among girls from 5 to 17
Recent Examples on the Web Understanding Your Risk and Easing Symptoms Alleva explained that the research teams performed both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of electronic health records employing statistical methods rooted in causal inference theory, such as propensity score matching. Lauryn Higgins, Health, 17 Nov. 2023 Retail audio advertising is particularly well-suited to programmatic technology that captures real-time and longitudinal data to automate message content and timing. Amanda Dorenberg, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2023 The longitudinal data gives the researchers a picture of individual lives that cannot be gleaned from the large counts mandated every two years by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but conducted annually in many places, including Los Angeles. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 Beginning with 2018, the report offers longitudinal insights into key technology sectors, startups, and investors. Mark Flickinger, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 Kirklin and Pagani said the number of death reports for the HeartMate 3 in the FDA's MAUDE database can be misleading without the outcome and longitudinal perspective that Intermacs provides. Daniel Chang, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2023 One longitudinal study of over 63,000 people found a sore throat in 70% of omicron cases versus 60% of delta cases. Leah Groth, Health, 16 Dec. 2023 By the time a longitudinal study on usage of any particular app has finished, its subjects may well have shifted their attentions to a new platform that didn’t even exist at the time the study started. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023 In a longitudinal cohort study, Putnick and a team performed assessments for depressive symptoms in mothers at 4, 12, 24 and 36 months postpartum. Liz Hammond, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'longitudinal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of longitudinal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near longitudinal

Cite this Entry

“Longitudinal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longitudinal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

longitudinal

adjective
lon·​gi·​tu·​di·​nal ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-nəl How to pronounce longitudinal (audio)
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of or relating to length
2
: placed or running lengthwise
longitudinally
adverb

Medical Definition

longitudinal

adjective
lon·​gi·​tu·​di·​nal
ˌlän-jə-ˈt(y)üd-ᵊn-əl, -nəl, British also ˌläŋ-gə-ˈtyüd-
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the lengthwise dimension
a longitudinal bone fracture
2
: extending along or relating to the anteroposterior axis of a body or part
a trypanosome which reproduces by longitudinal fission
3
: involving the repeated observation or examination of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables (as general health, the state of a disease, or mortality)
a longitudinal study of heart transplant recipients over a five-year period
longitudinally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on longitudinal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!