nonlinear

adjective

non·​lin·​e·​ar ˌnän-ˈli-nē-ər 

: not linear

nonlinear thinking

a nonlinear narrative

… I was already interested in the nonlinear manner in which ideas and fashions travel through our culture …

—Lyall Watson

nonlinearity

ˌnän-ˌli-nē-ˈer-ə-tē 

-ˈa-rə-

noun

plural nonlinearities

nonlinearly adverb

Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But attack surfaces keep evolving, and finding an entirely new class of bug still requires the nonlinear leap and ingenuity only a person can muster. — Rohit Dhamankar, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026

The first-person psychological horror game combines surreal imagery with a nonlinear narrative that explores responsibility, denial and the consequences of unchecked power. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026

The first-person psychological horror game combines surreal imagery with a nonlinear narrative exploring responsibility, denial and the consequences of unchecked power. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026

Time is one of Butler’s preoccupations—its fleeting nature, its nonlinear experience, its rubberbanding effect on our perception. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonlinear

• mynheer
• seignior
• signior
• bilinear
• collinear
• nonnuclear
• overseer
• curvilinear
• interlinear
• rectilinear
• dier
• freer