exponential function
Americannoun
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the function y = ex .
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any function of the form y = bax , where a and b are positive constants.
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any function in which a variable appears as an exponent and may also appear as a base, as y = x 2x .
Etymology
Origin of exponential function
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
At wide-open throttle, the raunchiness doesn’t come in wild quanta but in one smoothly linear, incredibly steep exponential function, with no interval for tactility and feedback.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
The horizontal asymptote of an exponential function tells us the limit of the function’s values as the independent variable gets either extremely large or extremely small.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
Recall that an exponential function is any equation written in the form such that and are positive numbers and Any positive number can be written as for some value of .
From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020
The exponential function whose base is e, is called the natural exponential function.
From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020
Animal standards belong to a class of life whose capacity is not an exponential function of Time.
From Manhood of Humanity. by Korzybski, Alfred
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.
