streamlined
Americanadjective
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having a contour designed to offer the least possible resistance to a current of air, water, etc.; optimally shaped for motion or conductivity.
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designed or organized to give maximum efficiency; compact.
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modernized; up-to-date.
adjective
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offering or designed to offer the minimum resistance to the flow of a gas or liquid
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made more efficient, esp by simplifying
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of streamlined
First recorded in 1890–95; streamline + -ed 2
Explanation
Something that works better because it's been made more efficient or modern is streamlined. Your streamlined system for printing flyers advertising your yard sale means you can print them much faster than before. There are two ways to use the adjective streamlined. First, there's the simplified, more efficient system, like a streamlined healthcare system or a streamlined driver's license process. The second meaning is "sleek" or "aerodynamic." The streamlined shape of a bullet train means it can travel much faster than older, rectangular train cars. The original meaning of streamline, from the 1850s, was "line drawn from point to point, so that its direction is everywhere that of the motion of the fluid." So an object, such as an aircraft or watercraft, that is streamlined has smooth, flowing curves, contoured to offer the least resistance to the flow of air or water.
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.
This was especially the case during the 2000s, when software and processes were not as sophisticated or streamlined as they are today.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
During Thursday’s call, Gap CEO Dickson said that under Gauger’s leadership, Athleta had streamlined product selection.
From MarketWatch • May 31, 2026
He adds that, because these garments lack seams, they are streamlined and can also be manufactured on moulds that capture the contours of the human body.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Under Fraser, Citi has streamlined its structure, worked to fix internal controls, and invested in technology and artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
That is, to replace its interweaving but independent voices with a more unified, streamlined sound, with the keyboard and cello locked together supportively, underpinning the sparring interplay of the two violins above them.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
