exponential

American  

[ek-spoh-nen-shuhl, -spuh-] / ˌɛk spoʊˈnɛn ʃəl, -spə- /

adjective

1. of or relating to an exponent or exponents.

2. Mathematics.

   1. of or relating to the constant e.

   2. (of an equation) having one or more unknown variables in one or more exponents.

3. rising or expanding at a steady, rapid rate.

   a city experiencing exponential growth.

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noun

1. Mathematics.

   1. the constant e raised to the power equal to a given expression, as e 3 x, which is the exponential of 3 x.

   2. any positive constant raised to a power.

exponential British  

/ ˌɛkspəʊˈnɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. maths (of a function, curve, series, or equation) of, containing, or involving one or more numbers or quantities raised to an exponent, esp e x

2.  exp.  maths raised to the power of e, the base of natural logarithms

3. of or involving an exponent or exponents

4. informal very rapid

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noun

1. maths an exponential function, etc

exponential Scientific  

/ ĕk′spə-nĕn′shəl /

1. Relating to a mathematical expression containing one or more exponents.

2. ◆ Something is said to increase or decrease exponentially if its rate of change must be expressed using exponents. A graph of such a rate would appear not as a straight line, but as a curve that continually becomes steeper or shallower.

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Other Word Forms

• nonexponential
  adjective
• exponentially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of exponential

First recorded in 1695–1705; exponent + -ial

Explanation

Exponential describes a very rapid increase. An exponential rise in the number of first graders with head lice might be a result of all the hat sharing that's gone on lately. Exponential is also a mathematical term, meaning "involving an exponent." When you raise a number to the tenth power, for example, that's an exponential increase in that number. When your next door neighbor describes the exponential growth of her rose bushes or the exponential increase in members of her book group, she means that there's been a sharp, fast expansion of both things.

Example Sentences

Morningstar’s William Kerwin told MarketWatch recently that Micron’s exponential revenue growth has been coming at nearly “pure profit” thanks to dramatic price hikes on memory products.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 28, 2026

This fueled an exponential growth in interest among the public, but not everyone qualifies for GLP-1s through their insurance or can afford them, even if they do.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

That matters for new investors who are not only expecting exponential growth after the IPO but also longer-run stock performance.

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026

“It’s a new resource that needs to be managed that didn’t exist quite that way, and we’re seeing exponential growth,” said Steve Chase, KPMG’s global head of AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

The universe would have started off with a period of exponential or “inflationary” expansion in which it would have increased its size by a very large factor.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking