nonlinear

adjective

non·​lin·​e·​ar ˌnän-ˈli-nē-ər How to pronounce nonlinear (audio)
: not linear
nonlinear thinking
a nonlinear narrative
… I was already interested in the nonlinear manner in which ideas and fashions travel through our culture …Lyall Watson
nonlinearity noun
plural nonlinearities
nonlinearly adverb

Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adaptive performance monitoring, with flexible KPIs that can evolve with changing circumstances, is crucial in navigating the nonlinear aspects of the BANI environment. Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024 Their goal is simple: to help make logical sense of an intricately nonlinear assortment of scenes. Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Oct. 2024 The film is presented in a nonlinear format, which allowed the director and stars to cover a wider scope of time and emotions. Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 All this immersive, nonlinear rolling sounds kind of … unscientific. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nonlinear 

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonlinear was in 1884

Dictionary Entries Near nonlinear

Cite this Entry

“Nonlinear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlinear. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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