linear function
noun
1
: a mathematical function in which the variables appear only in the first degree, are multiplied by constants, and are combined only by addition and subtraction
Examples of linear function in a Sentence
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That’s a tour of the sheaf of straight lines, or linear functions, over the real line.
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Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 19 July 2024
There are six algebra modules, for example, including ones about linear functions, quadratics, and exponentials.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 July 2023
This weighted sum is then fed into a non-linear function called an activation function—a step that enables neural networks to model complex non-linear phenomena.
—Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 2 Dec. 2019
One of our favorite refrains: tennis careers are not linear functions.
—Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 18 Mar. 2018
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Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 19 July 2024
There are six algebra modules, for example, including ones about linear functions, quadratics, and exponentials.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 July 2023
This weighted sum is then fed into a non-linear function called an activation function—a step that enables neural networks to model complex non-linear phenomena.
—Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 2 Dec. 2019
One of our favorite refrains: tennis careers are not linear functions.
—Jon Wertheim, SI.com, 18 Mar. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Linear function.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear%20function. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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