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

Plus there are topics in precalculus such as matrices, determinants, vectors and solving nonlinear systems of equations that students don’t need for Calculus I. —Tammi Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

Those initiatives often improved productivity and shareholder returns but left organizations structurally unprepared for markets shaped by fragmented attention, hyper-accelerated trend cycles, and nonlinear demand creation. —Christopher Vollmer, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026

While nonlinear optical frequency conversion is one of the most effective methods, progress has been constrained by the scarcity of suitable crystals. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026

Chari developed a finite element method (FEM) for analyzing nonlinear electromagnetic fields—which is crucial for the design of electric machines. —IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonlinear

• bilinear
• collinear
• nonnuclear
• overseer
• curvilinear
• interlinear
• rectilinear
• dier
• freer
• heer
• skier
• mynheer