trajectory
Americannoun
plural
trajectories-
the curve described by a projectile, rocket, or the like in its flight.
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Geometry. a curve or surface that cuts all the curves or surfaces of a given system at a constant angle.
noun
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the path described by an object moving in air or space under the influence of such forces as thrust, wind resistance, and gravity, esp the curved path of a projectile
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geometry a curve that cuts a family of curves or surfaces at a constant angle
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Physics The line or curve described by an object moving through space.
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Mathematics A curve or surface that passes through a given set of points or intersects a given series of curves or surfaces at a constant angle.
Usage
What does trajectory mean? The trajectory of an object is the path it follows once in flight or in motion.The word is especially used in the context of the path of projectiles like rockets, but it can be used in many different contexts.The trajectory of a golf ball is the curved path it follows in the air after being hit by a golf club. The trajectory of an asteroid is the path it follows in space. The potential trajectory of a storm is the route that it may travel.In geometry, trajectory is used in a more specific way to refer to a curve that intersects through a series of points at the same angle.Example: Try to determine the trajectory of the ball as it flies through the air so you can position yourself to catch it.
Other Word Forms
- trajectile adjective
- trajection noun
Etymology
Origin of trajectory
First recorded in 1660–70; from New Latin trājectōria, noun use of feminine of Medieval Latin trājectōrius “casting over”; equivalent to traject + -tory 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The oil-price trajectory matters for inflation because it affects prices at the pump, and contributes to transportation, manufacturing and logistical costs across the economy.
Historically, Iran’s Mehrabad airport in Tehran was emerging as a global hub connecting East and West in the 1970s, but that trajectory cut short by the Iranian Revolution, Harteveldt said.
From MarketWatch
For employees, Nix suggests they first talk to their HR departments to see what protections are in place, so their career trajectories don’t depend on the success of their in-office romance.
Aviation security specialists warn that many blow up or fail en route to their targets, exposing aircraft underneath their trajectories to falling debris.
The latest data would help set the central bank’s future rate path trajectory, after it lowered its key interest rate at its last meeting in February, while noting it will be guided by incoming data.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
