learning curve

noun

Definition of learning curve

1 : a curve plotting performance against practice especially : one graphing decline in unit costs with cumulative output

2 : the course of progress made in learning something

Examples of learning curve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a learning curve for new entrepreneurs, and some mistakes are more expensive than others, Farzan said. — Ethan Millman, latimes.com, "How one couple turned grocery bagging into a fast-growing business," 29 June 2018 The new site will have a similar look and feel to the existing site, so there's less of a learning curve, Paradise said. — Jennifer Conn, Akron Reporter, cleveland.com, "Akron Public Schools to unveil new website featuring language translation," 17 Jan. 2018 After Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons sat at Brown’s hip at the start of their careers, their learning curves have been steeper than the north face of the Eiger. — Marcus Hayes, Philly.com, "Markelle Fultz's best position for Sixers: Spectator | Marcus Hayes," 21 Mar. 2018 Scott Dunn, spokesman for the Arizona Office of Tourism, agreed there's a learning curve for spring training fans and said various agencies need to step up education efforts. — Laura Gómez, azcentral, "Spring training attendance dips in 2018 despite record Chicago Cubs games," 6 Apr. 2018 The growth of informal food and goods markets in recent years shows some entrepreneurship, but the learning curve for big firms will be much steeper. — The Economist, "Is North Korea the next Vietnam? Don’t count on it," 12 July 2018 The pair’s teammates describe them as hardworking and eager, but there’s always a learning curve between high school and college that players must face. — Kelli Stacy, courant.com, "UConn Freshman Christyn Williams Makes Bold National Championship Prediction," 25 June 2018 Hirshland will have quite a learning curve, with months of work to be done to begin to repair the USOC’s relationship with the nation’s athletes. — Christine Brennan, USA TODAY, "Beleaguered USOC chooses fresh start in its pick for CEO," 12 July 2018 Texas A&M’s learning curve under Fisher could be accelerated if the staff settles on a quarterback early in camp. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "How Kentucky football can win (or lose) against Texas A&M in 2018," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'learning curve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

17 Sep 2018

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The first known use of learning curve was in 1922

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More Definitions for learning curve

learning curve

noun

Financial Definition of learning curve

What It Is

A learning curve is the time it takes to master a concept. It is more of an idea than a chart or other visual representation of learning.

How It Works

For example, piloting a 777 has a steep learning curve -- you can't just walk in off the street and learn how to do it in 10 minutes. It takes months if not years of training and simulation before one can be considered a master of the concept of flying and landing a 777.

Why It Matters

In the business world, learning curves cost money and they create competitive advantages. If a company is training employees how to pilot 777s, for example, the training time costs a lot. However, if the company becomes the only one to have employees who know how to pilot 777s, it has used the learning curve to create a competitive advantage.

In many cases, a graphical representation of the learning curve shows what many experience in the real world -- initial concepts are easy to pick up, but the long-term detail involved in mastering the concept takes years to acquire.

Source: Investing Answers

learning curve

noun