linear equation

American  

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.

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linear equation British  

noun

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

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linear equation Scientific  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of linear equation

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Despite this complexity, a close approximation of its motion can be captured with a simple linear equation that uses only the launch speed and angle.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2025

This is a linear equation in the form y = ax + b, where a is the term in parenthesis containing the half-life of 87Rb.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

To solve a linear equation it is a good idea to have an overall strategy that can be used to solve any linear equation.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

This equation is often rearranged into logarithmic form to yield the linear equation:

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

A linear equation like 4x – 12 = 0 is extremely simple to solve, and such problems didn’t entertain algebraists for very long.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife