nonlinear
Americanadjective
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not linear.
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progressing or changing in a way that is not predictable, logical, or straightforward.
adjective
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not of, in, along, or relating to a line
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denoting digital editing in which edits are saved on computer, rather than videotape, thus enabling further edits to be made
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Things that don't follow a straight or logical path are nonlinear. In books and movies, a nonlinear narrative jumps around in time, rather than moving forward chronologically. The word nonlinear means "not like a line," from the Latin linea, "string or line." Use this adjective to describe things that veer off the straight and narrow, or for situations in which one event doesn't clearly follow another. If you tell your friend the long story of how you first got your dog, interspersing the tale with details of the dream you had last night, that's a good example of a nonlinear narrative.
Vocabulary lists containing nonlinear
STAAR English I: Elements of Literature
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STAAR English II: Elements of Literature 1
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STAAR Grade 8 Reading: Literature, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But McElwee’s nonlinear construction and brusque, confessional narration slowly transform the film into something much deeper, a poignant work of art that instantly yet subtly aligns itself with the great stories of our time.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
In a nonlinear fashion, the novel follows a domineering teacher’s relationship with her students against the backdrop of fascism’s rise in Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
However, when these systems need to perform nonlinear activation steps, such as decision-making operations, they usually must convert light signals back into electronic ones.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026
In Sokolov’s “They Will Kill You,” written with Alex Litvak, that premise is combined with a Tarantino-esque taste for kung fu movies and nonlinear storytelling, as well as a “John Wick”-style quest for vengeance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
From his own experiences in Vietnam and his reading of the German military theorist Carl von Clausewitz, Van Riper became convinced that war was inherently unpredictable and messy and nonlinear.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
