trajectory
/trəˈdʒektəri/ (bre, ipa) · /trəˈdʒektəri/ (ame, ipa) · /trə-ˈjek-t(ə-)rē/ (ame, mw)
trajectory — noun
- trajectorysingular
- trajectoriesplural
1. the curved line a moving object makes in the air as it travels from its starting
the curved line a moving object makes in the air as it travels from its starting point to where it lands or stops, for example a ball after it is thrown or a rocket after it is launched.
Christopher watched the baseball's high trajectory as it sailed over the fence.
possessive + trajectory: object's trajectory
The rocket's trajectory was carefully calculated by the engineers in Houston.
passive: trajectory was calculated by [agent]
On the screen, the missile's trajectory appeared as a bright red line.
Wind changed the trajectory of the paper airplane, sending it into a tree.
The tennis ball's trajectory curved sharply after Lukas hit it with spin.
- flight path
more specific to aircraft and missiles; suggests a planned course
- arc
emphasises the curved shape of the movement
- curve
more general, less technical than trajectory
- ballistic curve
technical term for a projectile's unpowered path
文法句型
trajectory of [something]
possessive + trajectory
用法筆記
This sense always refers to a curved or arched movement through the air, not a straight line on the ground. A train follows a track, not a trajectory.
常見錯誤
2. the direction in which a situation, someone's career, or a series of events deve
the direction in which a situation, someone's career, or a series of events develops and changes over time, imagined as a course leading to a particular result.
Indra's career trajectory took her from a small startup to a leading technology company.
career trajectory — common noun-noun collocation
The country's economic trajectory has been steadily upward for the past decade.
economic trajectory + upward — adjective + noun + adverb pattern
The doctor explained the likely trajectory of the disease over the next few months.
Meera believed her education would change the trajectory of her entire family's future.
After the merger, the company's trajectory shifted from growth to stability.
- course
more general; can apply to any direction of movement or development
- direction
focuses on the intended or actual end point, not the path
- progression
emphasises forward movement step by step
- path
less formal; works for both literal and figurative uses
文法句型
possessive + trajectory
trajectory of [something]
adjective + trajectory
用法筆記
Common in figurative contexts about careers, economies, political movements, and health outcomes. The physical sense (sense 1, PHYSICAL PATH) refers to an actual curved line through air; this sense is metaphorical.