exponential

[ ek-spoh-nen-shuh l, -spuh- ]

/ ˌɛk spoʊˈnɛn ʃəl, -spə- /

adjective

of or relating to an exponent or exponents.

Mathematics.

of or relating to the constant e.
(of an equation) having one or more unknown variables in one or more exponents.

rising or expanding at a steady and usually rapid rate:a city experiencing exponential growth.

noun

Mathematics.

the constant e raised to the power equal to a given expression, as e3x, which is the exponential of 3x.
any positive constant raised to a power.

Nearby words

explosive forming, explosive rivet, explosive welding, expo, exponent, exponential, exponential curve, exponential distribution, exponential function, exponential growth, exponential horn

Origin of exponential

First recorded in 1695–1705; exponent + -ial

Related forms

ex·po·nen·tial·ly, adverbnon·ex·po·nen·tial, adjectivenon·ex·po·nen·tial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for exponentially

That was in 2006 in Georgia, but in 2009, the project moved to New York and exponentially grew across the globe.
Blurred Lines at NY Sketchbook Museum|Daniel Genis|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Exponentially powerful technologies are transforming our sphere of possibilities.
On Transhumanism and Why Technology Is Our Silicon Nervous System|Jason Silva|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if those consequences result in exponentially higher Brotherhood casualties than army casualties, then so be it.
Neocon Scholar: Keep Bloodying The Brotherhood|Ali Gharib|August 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What if we missed means to better, exponentially better, exploit our military supremacy?
What If the Iraq War Never Happened?|Michael Ware|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Even the simple task of grasping an object is exponentially more difficult in a pressure suit.
Felix Baumgartner Talks Space Jump, Red Bull’s ‘Stratos,’ Kittinger’s Record, and More|Pawel Szaniawski|October 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Tremendous parallelism ensures the vitality of the exponentially increasing number and types of transactions.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for exponentially

exponential

/ (ˌɛkspəʊˈnɛnʃəl) /

adjective

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

maths raised to the power of e, the base of natural logarithmsSymbol: exp

of or involving an exponent or exponents

informal very rapid

noun

maths an exponential function, etc

Derived Forms

exponentially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for exponentially

exponential

[ ĕk′spə-nĕn′shəl ]

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