trajectory
🇬🇧 /trəˈdʒɛktəri/
🇺🇸 /trəˈdʒɛktɜriː/
📖 Definitions
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noun
The path followed by a projectile, rocket, or other moving object through space, typically a curved path determined by the forces acting upon it.; The course or direction of development, progress, or change over time; the general trend or progression of events.; In mathematics, a curve that intersects a given family of curves at a constant angle.; In physics and mechanics, the successive positions of a moving body considered as a continuous line or curve.; A person's career path or life course, especially when viewed as having a particular direction or momentum.; In dynamical systems theory, the evolution of the state of a system over time, represented as a curve in phase space.
🔗 Details
Word forms
countable
Plural: trajectories
Collocations
career trajectoryflight trajectoryorbital trajectorytrajectory oftrajectory analysisballistic trajectory
Derivatives
trajectorial
Synonyms
pathcourseroutearctrackflight path
Commonly confused
orbit
EN: 'Orbit' implies a closed, repeating path around a body; 'trajectory' refers to any path through space, often open-ended.
path
EN: 'Path' is a general term for any route; 'trajectory' specifically implies a curved path determined by forces, often used in physics or figuratively for life direction.
Spelling tips
EN: Remember the 'ct' in the middle and the ending '-ory' (not '-ery'). The plural changes 'y' to 'ies': 'trajectories'.
💬 Examples
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The trajectory of the missile was tracked by radar from launch to impact.
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The company's trajectory has been one of steady growth over the past decade.
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The orthogonal trajectories of the family of circles centered at the origin are straight lines passing through the origin.
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The trajectory of the electron in the magnetic field formed a helix.
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Her trajectory from small-town teacher to Nobel laureate inspired many young scientists.
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The trajectory in phase space spiraled toward the attractor as the system approached equilibrium.