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
Lyall Watson
nonlinearly
adverb
Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This allows the model to adapt to nonlinear tire behavior and environmental variation.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
But if the manufacturing challenges facing hollow-core lines can be overcome, both higher capacities and cleaner signals (with fewer of glass’s nonlinear distortions) could be part of fiber’s future.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Dec. 2025
Loureiro’s past work spanned theory and computational modeling of nonlinear plasma dynamics, where his group used analytical tools and state-of-the art simulations to study magnetic reconnection, turbulence and related instabilities.
—Alexandra Koch , Greg Wehner , Molly Line, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Health care today behaves as a Complex Adaptive System—dynamic, nonlinear and interdependent.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonlinear
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025
But if the manufacturing challenges facing hollow-core lines can be overcome, both higher capacities and cleaner signals (with fewer of glass’s nonlinear distortions) could be part of fiber’s future.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Dec. 2025
Loureiro’s past work spanned theory and computational modeling of nonlinear plasma dynamics, where his group used analytical tools and state-of-the art simulations to study magnetic reconnection, turbulence and related instabilities.
—Alexandra Koch , Greg Wehner , Molly Line, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Health care today behaves as a Complex Adaptive System—dynamic, nonlinear and interdependent.
—Lawrence Rosenberg, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nonlinear
Cite this Entry
“Nonlinear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlinear. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share