piecewise

[pees-wahyz]

adverb

Mathematics.

1. denoting that a function has a specified property, as smoothness or continuity, on each of a finite number of pieces into which its domain is divided.

   a piecewise continuous function; a piecewise differentiable curve.

Word History and Origins

Origin of piecewise¹

First recorded in 1665–75; piece + -wise

Example Sentences

The study revealed that subduction zones don't fail in one catastrophic break but die in stages, through a process known as "episodic" or "piecewise" termination.

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This is called a piecewise continuous solution.

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From behavioral motivations to the piecewise ‘progress’ of a species in exploiting sources of energy and development of materials and machines.

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One of the dead, for example, pays piecewise to experience a head cold, along with pay-as-you-go sneezes, merely because it is something to break up the monotony of eternity.

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At this point, the genome engineers' job became a bit like a railway engineer's maintenance programme - replacing the E. coli genome piecewise - section by section - rather than all at once.

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