linear equation

noun

Mathematics.

1. a first-order equation involving two variables: its graph is a straight line in the Cartesian coordinate system.

2. any equation such that the sum of two solutions is a solution, and a constant multiple of a solution is a solution.

linear equation

noun

1. a polynomial equation of the first degree, such as x + y = 7

linear equation

1. An algebraic equation, such as y = 4 x + 3, in which the variables are of the first degree (that is, raised only to the first power). The graph of such an equation is a straight line.

Word History and Origins

Origin of linear equation¹

First recorded in 1810–20