- past tense form of streamline.
- past participle of streamline.
streamlined
Americanadjective
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having a contour designed to offer the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.; optimally shaped for motion or conductivity.
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designed or organized to give maximum efficiency; compact.
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modernized; up-to-date.
adjective
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offering or designed to offer the minimum resistance to the flow of a gas or liquid
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made more efficient, esp by simplifying
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of streamlined
First recorded in 1890–95; streamline + -ed 2
Explanation
Something that works better because it's been made more efficient or modern is streamlined. Your streamlined system for printing flyers advertising your yard sale means you can print them much faster than before. There are two ways to use the adjective streamlined. First, there's the simplified, more efficient system, like a streamlined healthcare system or a streamlined driver's license process. The second meaning is "sleek" or "aerodynamic." The streamlined shape of a bullet train means it can travel much faster than older, rectangular train cars. The original meaning of streamline, from the 1850s, was "line drawn from point to point, so that its direction is everywhere that of the motion of the fluid." So an object, such as an aircraft or watercraft, that is streamlined has smooth, flowing curves, contoured to offer the least resistance to the flow of air or water.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Streamlined communication, state-of-the-art equipment and joined-up team work appear to be key.
From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025
Mubadala Capital and Streamlined Ventures also participated in the funding round.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2023
Streamlined procedures would change the futures for countless children who, because of outdated systems, are being relegated to unsafe and unequal care.
From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2022
Streamlined alternatives to the blimpy puffer, they are a retort as well, Ms. Graubard said, to “too many soft clothes, too many elastic waists. We’re all craving a little structure now.”
From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2021
The cost can be reduced for retailers who sell to customers in the 24 states that participate in the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement, a plan aimed at simplifying tax collection.
From Washington Times • Jun. 23, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
