linear

adjective

lin·​e·​ar ˈli-nē-ər 

1

a(1)

: of, relating to, resembling, or having a graph that is a line and especially a straight line : straight

(2)

: involving a single dimension

b(1)

: of the first degree with respect to one or more variables

(2)

: of, relating to, based on, or being linear equations, linear differential equations, linear functions, linear transformations, or linear algebra

c(1)

: characterized by an emphasis on line

linear art

(2)

: composed of simply drawn lines with little attempt at pictorial representation

linear script

d

: consisting of a straight chain of atoms

a linear molecule

2

: elongated with nearly parallel sides

linear leaf

see leaf illustration

3

: having or being a response or output that is directly proportional to the input

4

: of, relating to, or based or depending on sequential development

linear thinking

a linear narrative

linearity

ˌli-nē-ˈer-ə-tē 

-ˈa-rə-

noun

linearly

ˈli-nē-ər-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• direct
• right
• straight
• straightaway
• straightforward

Examples of linear in a Sentence

a flat, almost linear horizon

the bullets from early firearms were notorious for not following a strictly linear path through the air

Recent Examples on the Web

Fit and situation are everything, which is why the draft order and first-year success are never linear in the NBA. —Nick Crain, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024

For the 2024 installment of perhaps our least-festive (or at least, our most tedious) annual tradition, IndieWire has again ranked every linear TV channel by their calendar-year viewership. —Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 20 Dec. 2024

As with 2023’s deal with Charter, DirecTV will now be able to bundle Disney streaming services with its linear channel offering. —Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024

Researchers from Imperial College London in the UK and the University of Graz in Austria have examined the mental health benefits of playing open-world games, which are characterized by sprawling, detailed environments in which gameplay is not always linear and structured. —New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing linear

• linear accelerator
• linear algebra
• linear combination
• linear dependence
• linear equation
• linear function
• linear independence
• linear interpolation
• linear measure
• linear motor
• linear perspective
• linear programming
• linear regression
• linear space
• linear transformation

Kids Definition

linear

adjective

lin·​ear

ˈlin-ē-ər

1

a

: relating to, consisting of, or resembling a line : straight

b

: involving a single dimension

c

: of, relating to, based on, or being linear equations or linear functions

2

: long and uniformly narrow

the linear leaf of the hyacinth

linearity

ˌlin-ē-ˈar-ət-ē

noun

linearly

ˈlin-ē-ər-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

linear

adjective

lin·​ear ˈlin-ē-ər 

: of, relating to, or resembling a line

linearity

ˌlin-ē-ˈar-ət-ē 

noun

plural linearities

linearly

ˈlin-ē-ər-lē 

adverb