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Meaning & use

longitudinal

adjective·Advanced

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UK/ˌlɒŋɡɪˈtjuːdɪnəl/
US/ˌlɑːndʒəˈtuːdɪnəl/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a noun

    Relating to length or the lengthwise direction of something.

    Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: longitudinal lines, longitudinal study.

    Patterns

    • longitudinal axis
    • longitudinal line
    • longitudinal section

    The map shows longitudinal lines running from pole to pole.

    Engineers measured the longitudinal strength of the beam.

    A longitudinal cut through the tree revealed its rings.

  2. adjectivebefore a nountechnical

    Of a study or survey: following the same people or subjects over a long period.

    Grammar: Often used in academic contexts: a longitudinal study.

    Patterns

    • longitudinal study
    • longitudinal research
    • longitudinal data

    The longitudinal study tracked children's health for twenty years.

    Longitudinal data can show how habits change as people age.

    Researchers used a longitudinal design to observe the same families over time.

Common combinations

longitudinal study
The longitudinal study followed participants for a decade.
longitudinal axis
The plane rotates around its longitudinal axis.
longitudinal section
The diagram shows a longitudinal section of the pipe.
longitudinal data
Longitudinal data revealed a gradual decline in memory.

Synonyms and how they differ

lengthwise
Lengthwise means in the direction of the length; longitudinal is more formal and technical, often used in science and engineering.
prospective
In research, prospective means looking forward in time; longitudinal emphasizes following the same subjects over time, whether forward or backward.

Opposites

cross-sectionallateral

Word family

longitude noun
The distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
longitudinally adverb
In a lengthwise direction or over a long period.

Commonly confused: longitudinal or latitudinal?

longitudinal vs latitudinal

Latitudinal relates to latitude (north-south position), while longitudinal relates to longitude (east-west position) or to length.

Practice

A ______ study followed the same group of adults for thirty years.

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