nonlinear

British  

/ nɒnˈlɪnɪə /

adjective

1. not of, in, along, or relating to a line

2. denoting digital editing in which edits are saved on computer, rather than videotape, thus enabling further edits to be made

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Explanation

Things that don't follow a straight or logical path are nonlinear. In books and movies, a nonlinear narrative jumps around in time, rather than moving forward chronologically. The word nonlinear means "not like a line," from the Latin linea, "string or line." Use this adjective to describe things that veer off the straight and narrow, or for situations in which one event doesn't clearly follow another. If you tell your friend the long story of how you first got your dog, interspersing the tale with details of the dream you had last night, that's a good example of a nonlinear narrative.

Example Sentences

The third, more severe, scenario is one in which financial conditions tighten in a meaningful way and vulnerabilities kick in, generating nonlinear behavior.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

In Sokolov’s “They Will Kill You,” written with Alex Litvak, that premise is combined with a Tarantino-esque taste for kung fu movies and nonlinear storytelling, as well as a “John Wick”-style quest for vengeance.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

These materials can also produce new colors of light through nonlinear optical effects such as second-harmonic generation.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

In this process, called entanglement, qubits share the burden of calculating probabilities—leading to faster, nonlinear computing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

From his own experiences in Vietnam and his reading of the German military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, Van Riper became convinced that war was inherently unpredictable and messy and nonlinear.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell