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piecewise

American  
[pees-wahyz] / ˈpisˌwaɪz /

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.


Etymology

Origin of piecewise

First recorded in 1665–75; piece + -wise

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.

See Examples For:

Instead, they shut down through a process known as "episodic" or "piecewise" termination.

From Science Daily Apr. 29, 2026

To evaluate whether the warming rate has changed since the 1970s, the researchers applied two statistical techniques: a quadratic trend analysis and a piecewise linear model that identifies when shifts in warming rates occur.

From Science Daily Mar. 9, 2026

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.

From Science Daily Oct. 25, 2025

So we need to explore the three conditions of continuity at the boundary points of the piecewise function.

From Textbooks Dec. 1, 2021

So we assume the boundary to be a piecewise smooth and continuous simple closed curve.

From Textbooks Mar. 30, 2016

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