vertical

/ˈvɜːtɪkəl/ adjective

Definition

› GRAPHS & CHARTS a vertical line, column, etc. goes straight up or down rather than across: The vertical columns of the table were headed with the months of the year.

› HR used to describe the different ranks of managers and workers in an organization: The vertical structures of the past are less popular now that decision-making and innovation are encouraged at all operating levels. If there are more than five levels of management, the organization is said to be high in vertical differentiation.

› COMMERCE, FINANCE used to describe the different stages of an industrial or commercial process, and the organizations involved: vertical agreement/market/restraint Vertical restraints can be used to isolate national markets, particularly where there are price differences between EU Member States.

→ Compare horizontal

(Definition of vertical adjective from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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