- past participle of streamline.
- past tense form 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." A streamlined aircraft or watercraft 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.
This streamlined process allows estates like your mother’s to be settled more quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional probate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Some applications were streamlined, meaning a higher number of claimants were given leave to remain.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The Emmy Awards have become a streamlined affair in recent years, as voters, sifting through a fragmented TV landscape, inevitably land on a small set of favorite programs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Their streamlined, fusiform bodies combined features characteristic of hexapods and insects with more primitive ancestral traits.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Aerodynamic theory and intuition suggested that the rocket and spacecraft combination should be as streamlined as possible, to minimize aerodynamic drag.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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