linear

adjective

lin·​e·​ar ˈli-nē-ər How to pronounce linear (audio)
1
a(1)
: of, relating to, resembling, or having a graph that is a line and especially a straight line : straight
(2)
: involving a single dimension
b(1)
: of the first degree with respect to one or more variables
c(1)
: characterized by an emphasis on line
linear art
(2)
: composed of simply drawn lines with little attempt at pictorial representation
linear script
d
: consisting of a straight chain of atoms
a linear molecule
2
: elongated with nearly parallel sides
linear leaf
see leaf illustration
3
: having or being a response or output that is directly proportional to the input
4
: of, relating to, or based or depending on sequential development
linear thinking
a linear narrative
linearity noun
linearly adverb

Examples of linear in a Sentence

a flat, almost linear horizon the bullets from early firearms were notorious for not following a strictly linear path through the air
Recent Examples on the Web To date, holdback for pay and linear TV have been matters of industry consensus. John Hopewell, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 Oakland’s path to a championship wasn’t a linear one. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Sirius Cay comprises two parcels that together span almost an acre, with 381 linear feet of waterfront. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 In television, Gato Grande plans to develop a wide range of content to be distributed across both linear networks and streaming platforms. Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 29 Feb. 2024 The move to bring Tulsa King to broadcast is part of Paramount Global’s larger strategy to repurpose streaming originals on its linear platforms. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 Television Meet the live-action stars of Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Aug. 12, 2021 Like linear TV, movies have their limitations too. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The projects were to span nearly 40 linear miles on Black Mesa’s northeastern escarpment. The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Miami-Dade commissioners on Wednesday approved changes to the county sign code allowing commercial advertising on the Metrorail columns that dot the Underline, the $140 million linear park being built underneath the train system. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'linear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of linear was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near linear

Cite this Entry

“Linear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

linear

adjective
lin·​ear
ˈlin-ē-ər
1
a
: relating to, consisting of, or resembling a line : straight
b
: involving a single dimension
c
: of, relating to, based on, or being linear equations or linear functions
2
: long and uniformly narrow
the linear leaf of the hyacinth
linearity
ˌlin-ē-ˈar-ət-ē
noun
linearly
ˈlin-ē-ər-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

linear

adjective
lin·​ear ˈlin-ē-ər How to pronounce linear (audio)
: of, relating to, or resembling a line
linearity noun
plural linearities
linearly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on linear

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