linear

American  

[lin-ee-er] / ˈlɪn i ər /

adjective

1. 

   of, consisting of, or using lines.

   linear design.

2. pertaining to or represented by lines.

   linear dimensions.

3. extended or arranged in a line.

   a linear series.

4. involving measurement in one dimension only; pertaining to length.

   linear measure.

5. of or relating to the characteristics of a work of art in which forms and rhythms are defined chiefly in terms of line.

6. having the form of or resembling a line.

   linear nebulae.

7. progressing logically from step to step; having a regular sequence of stages.

   Such linear thinking can inhibit true innovation and creative exploration.

8. Mathematics.

   1. consisting of, involving, or describable by terms of the first degree.

   2. having the same effect on a sum as on each of the summands.

      a linear operation.

9. Electronics. delivering an output that is directly proportional to the input.

   a linear circuit; a linear amplifier.

10. threadlike; narrow and elongated.

    a linear leaf.

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linear British  

/ ˈlɪnɪə /

adjective

1. of, in, along, or relating to a line

2. of or relating to length

3. resembling, represented by, or consisting of a line or lines

4. having one dimension

5. designating a style in the arts, esp painting, that obtains its effects through line rather than colour or light and in which the edges of forms and planes are sharply defined Compare painterly

6. maths of or relating to the first degree

   a linear equation

7. narrow and having parallel edges

   a linear leaf

8. electronics

   1. (of a circuit, etc) having an output that is directly proportional to input

      linear amplifier

   2. having components arranged in a line

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linear Scientific  

/ lĭn′ē-ər /

1. Being or resembling a line.

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Other Word Forms

• linearity
  noun
• nonlinear
  adjective
• sublinear
  adjective
• linearly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of linear

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin līneāris “of, belonging to lines”; see line ¹, -ar ¹

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Explanation

Something linear is like a line. The adjective usually refers to something that follows an expected order or sequence — like railroad tracks or even the progression of a disease. Drawn from the word line, something linear follows that concept, coming from the Latin līneāris, "belonging to a line." You might come across the word in mathematics, as in a "linear equation," or in electronics, with a "linear circuit." It also can be used to refer to a written work that follows a "linear narrative." If a movie has lots of flashbacks and happens out of order, it does not have a linear narrative. You might find such a movie puzzling but enjoyable, or you might prefer something more chronological and linear.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

linear

"In reality, grief is messy, unpredictable and deeply individual. People move back and forth between feelings, and the idea of a tidy, linear process simply doesn't reflect how grief actually works."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

It concerns Gaussian elimination, a popular way of solving linear systems that you might remember from high school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Instead of examining DNA only as a linear genetic sequence, the UEA researchers used Oxford BioDynamics' EpiSwitch® Orion platform to study the genome's three-dimensional organization.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Building an audience outside the traditional linear viewing has become such a key component of television today.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

There were linear streaks of clean floor for the furrows, and linear streaks of dust, the hillocks.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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