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
(2)
: of, relating to, based on, or being linear equations, linear differential equations, linear functions, linear transformations, or linear algebra
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
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
If the digital nouveau riche have sufficient discretionary income to unseat the coupon-clipping linear-TV gang, all that outsized buying power may not necessarily translate to a full-on tech takeover.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The plan is to remove about 450 linear feet of the 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk next to Coast Boulevard and install a new 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk as a replacement.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The Avengers do, however, have access to the Quantum Realm, the sub-atomic domain where time starts to behave in weird, non-linear ways.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Next up, the low-pressure system has a feature associated with it that, in meteorology speak, is called a QLCS, or quasi-linear convective system.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
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Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The plan is to remove about 450 linear feet of the 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk next to Coast Boulevard and install a new 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk as a replacement.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
The Avengers do, however, have access to the Quantum Realm, the sub-atomic domain where time starts to behave in weird, non-linear ways.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Next up, the low-pressure system has a feature associated with it that, in meteorology speak, is called a QLCS, or quasi-linear convective system.
—Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linear
Cite this Entry
“Linear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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