streamlined

American  

[streem-lahynd] / ˈstrimˌlaɪnd /

adjective

1. having a contour designed to offer the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.; optimally shaped for motion or conductivity.

2. designed or organized to give maximum efficiency; compact.

3. modernized; up-to-date.

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streamlined British  

/ ˈstriːmˌlaɪnd /

adjective

1. offering or designed to offer the minimum resistance to the flow of a gas or liquid

2. made more efficient, esp by simplifying

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Other Word Forms

• unstreamlined adjective

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

Ahmed brought the idea to rethink “Hamlet” with a South Asian British family to Lesslie, who has stripped down and streamlined Shakespeare’s play to the emotional essentials, while director Karia brings a gritty, stylish look.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The SSS website notes that the change "transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS" through integration with other federal data sources, which it believes will result in a "streamlined" process.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

NordVPN offers more advanced privacy features, while Surfshark focuses on streamlined security and broad accessibility.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

“Hercules” is more streamlined than Handel’s operas, and its most dramatic passages—including Hercules’ death and Dejanira’s subsequent mad scene—are written as accompanied recitatives rather than da capo arias.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Bluish- white smoke from early-morning braziers billowed upward in streamlined wisps.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• aerodynamic
• modernized
• simplified