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

What’s funny about that is that the universe is decidedly nonlinear. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

For the other piece of the puzzle, a team of researchers led by Robert Boyd, a professor of physics and expert in quantum nonlinear optics, worked with an abundant natural light source to see if quantum entanglement could be achieved. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

The director has also preserved Homer’s nonlinear narrative structure, with tales nesting within tales. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026

Curiously, the show’s rapid jumps in time and mood were nonlinear; there was no narrative conceit holding everything together. — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonlinear

• mynheer
• seignior
• signior
• bilinear
• collinear
• nonnuclear
• overseer
• curvilinear
• interlinear
• rectilinear
• dier
• freer