nonlinear
adjective
non·lin·e·ar
ˌnän-ˈli-nē-ər 
: 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
Lyall Watson
nonlinearly
adverb
Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Complex systems feature feedback loops, emergent properties, and nonlinear behaviors that resist command-and-control approaches.
—Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The story was designed to be nonlinear, so it can be chopped and edited, and each performance can be different.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
For researchers like myself—an ecologist who often draws inspiration from nonlinear dynamics, statistical physics, and cognitive psychology—these technologies function as accelerators of thought rather than substitutes for it.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
By combining three different types of nonlinear building blocks – each of which exhibits specific force-extension behaviors – in a network arrangement, the team was able to create a countersnapping system.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonlinear
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Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
The story was designed to be nonlinear, so it can be chopped and edited, and each performance can be different.
—Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025
For researchers like myself—an ecologist who often draws inspiration from nonlinear dynamics, statistical physics, and cognitive psychology—these technologies function as accelerators of thought rather than substitutes for it.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
By combining three different types of nonlinear building blocks – each of which exhibits specific force-extension behaviors – in a network arrangement, the team was able to create a countersnapping system.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonlinear
Cite this Entry
“Nonlinear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlinear. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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