Rectilinearly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Characterized by movement in straight lines or directions without deviation
2. Describing a trajectory or path that is linear and not curved
3. Pertaining to progress or displacement occurring along a straight line in geometry or physics

Etymology: Rectilinearly is a plain formation: the adverb "rectilinear" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added. The adjective is built from Latin roots, "rectus" meaning "straight" or "upright," and "linearis," from "linea," a line. Put together, the word describes motion that follows a straight line, and the suffix simply turns that adjective into a description of how something moves. Because the suffix does the grammatical work, the adverb carries no meaning beyond its base. It answers the question "how?" for a verb of motion: a particle can travel rectilinearly, or a beam of light can spread rectilinearly through still air. The word is most often found in physics and geometry, where "straight-line" motion is set against curved or circular motion.

Synonyms: linearly