learning curve

noun

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

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

See learning curve defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of learning curve from the Web

But getting to know LA culture came with a learning curve.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "From Huntsville to LA, Laci Jordan bringing black culture to graphic design," 30 Mar. 2018
Meanwhile, many of the newer services come with a steep learning curve or require some technical familiarity.

— brian fung, Philly.com, "Facebook's poor care of customer data is leading users to Mastodon," 23 Mar. 2018
The election, a first for the state, comes with a steep learning curve for city elections officials and for voters, some of whom may not have even been expecting to get a ballot in the mail.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "Anchorage navigates bumps in first mail-ballot election, including a case of mail theft," 20 Mar. 2018
The absolute best way to learn is with a group of friends who already know the rules and can guide you through the learning curve.

— william herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, "So You Want To Play Dungeons & Dragons...," 20 Mar. 2018
With a turnover in key personnel, including the secretary of state, the learning curve promises to be steep.

— james h. lebovic, Washington Post, "For Trump, the art of the deal isn’t the art of diplomacy," 14 Mar. 2018
And just to steepen the learning curve, Curry's second go-around for a bachelors in nursing was entirely online.

— krista soriano, Esquire, "Why I Left My Corporate Sales Job to Become a Nurse in My 40s," 26 Feb. 2018
Employees at the various city agencies come and go, and learning curves need to be climbed over and over again.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "How Can It Take 15 Years and $32 Million to Build a Neighborhood Library?," 29 Mar. 2018
So getting through these last games is definitely going to be a learning curve for me.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic intend to play their youngsters more in season’s final weeks," 19 Mar. 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.

First Known Use of learning curve

1922

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Financial Definition of LEARNING CURVE

learning curve

noun

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