linear

[ lin-ee-er ]

/ ˈlɪn i ər /

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See synonyms for linear on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, consisting of, or using lines: linear design.

pertaining to or represented by lines: linear dimensions.

extended or arranged in a line: a linear series.

involving measurement in one dimension only; pertaining to length: linear measure.

of or relating to the characteristics of a work of art in which forms and rhythms are defined chiefly in terms of line.

having the form of or resembling a line: linear nebulae.

progressing logically from step to step; having a regular sequence of stages: Such linear thinking can inhibit true innovation and creative exploration.

Mathematics.

consisting of, involving, or describable by terms of the first degree.
having the same effect on a sum as on each of the summands: a linear operation.

Electronics. delivering an output that is directly proportional to the input: a linear circuit; a linear amplifier.

threadlike; narrow and elongated: a linear leaf.

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Origin of linear

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin līneāris “of, belonging to lines”; see line¹, -ar¹

OTHER WORDS FROM linear

lin·e·ar·ly, adverbnon·lin·e·ar, adjectivesub·lin·e·ar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use linear in a sentence

If it’s consumed on the TV’s “glass” — whether it’s streaming or linear or apps or games — it can be measured.
OTT, CTV, linear TV and digital video: How video can be managed in one place|Samsung Ads|November 18, 2020|Digiday
There’s a natural progression of the information customers are looking for and it’s not linear.
Building connections between siloed channels, technologies and teams|Sponsored Content: Integrate|November 11, 2020|Search Engine Land
As a result, streaming’s expected lower revenue and the lessening of linear profits is upping the urgency for companies including ESPN, NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia to significantly cut their costs.
TV networks cut costs to confront shrinking profits amid streaming shift|Tim Peterson|November 11, 2020|Digiday
Katie busies herself with 19 credit hours — classes in Java and MATLAB, linear algebra, philosophy, a start-up lab — into the predawn hours.
This AI whiz could be the next Elon Musk or Steve Jobs, but first she has to navigate being 18|Taylor Telford|November 5, 2020|Washington Post

Next, focusing only on the vertices whose sum of squares was 0, they calculated the “inner product” between pairs of vertices — a standard operation in linear algebra.
Disorder Persists in Larger Graphs, New Math Proof Finds|Kevin Hartnett|November 4, 2020|Quanta Magazine
"It's like, in this universe, we process time linearly," he says.
‘True Detective’ Episode 5 Review: ‘The Secret Fate of All Life’ is the Best Episode Yet|Andrew Romano|February 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For both Davids and Goliaths, advantages are rarely linearly related to success.
Malcolm Gladwell In Five Minutes: What to Know to Pretend You’ve Read the New Book|Thomas Flynn|October 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Did you write it linearly, or write each story and then break them apart?
A Fierce Debut|Jennie Yabroff|March 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
As the intensity of the gravitational field decreased, the velocity of the ship increased—not linearly, but logarithmically.
Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett
Shell in chambers, superimposed linearly on a straight or curved axis.
The Ocean World:|Louis Figuier

British Dictionary definitions for linear

linear

/ (ˈlɪnɪə) /

adjective

of, in, along, or relating to a line

of or relating to length

resembling, represented by, or consisting of a line or lines

having one dimension

designating a style in the arts, esp painting, that obtains its effects through line rather than colour or light and in which the edges of forms and planes are sharply definedCompare painterly

maths of or relating to the first degreea linear equation

narrow and having parallel edgesa linear leaf

electronics

(of a circuit, etc) having an output that is directly proportional to inputlinear amplifier
having components arranged in a line

Derived forms of linear

linearity (ˌlɪnɪˈærɪtɪ), nounlinearly, adverb

Word Origin for linear

C17: from Latin līneāris of or by means of lines

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