Meaning & use
longitudinally
In a direction running lengthwise, along the long axis of something.
See it in a sentence
The beam was cut longitudinally to reveal the growth rings inside.
Surgeons made a longitudinally placed incision to minimize damage to nearby muscles.
A note on using this word
In science and social research, longitudinally often refers to studying the same subjects repeatedly over time, not just physical length.
Words with a similar meaning
lengthwise
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
latitudinally
Another way to use it
2. adverb
Over an extended period of time, through repeated observation of the same subjects.
The study tracked children's reading skills longitudinally from kindergarten through high school.
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