trajectory
noun
Simple meaning
The path an object takes as it moves.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
truhjehktereeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
tɹəˈdʒɛktɚi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The path an object takes as it moves.
astronomyspace science
The path followed by an object moving through space
astronomyspace science
The path of a body as it travels through space.
figuratively
A course of development, such as that of a war or career.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The path an object takes as it moves.
Used this way, trajectory is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Course
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
The trajectory of an object in free flight.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.