linear equation

noun Mathematics.

a first-order equation involving two variables: its graph is a straight line in the Cartesian coordinate system.
any equation such that the sum of two solutions is a solution, and a constant multiple of a solution is a solution.

Compare linear operator.

Origin of linear equation

First recorded in 1810–20

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British Dictionary definitions for linear equation

linear equation

noun

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

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

linear equation in Science

linear equation

An algebraic equation, such as y = 4x + 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.