nonlinear

adjective

non·​lin·​e·​ar ˌnän-ˈli-nē-ər How to pronounce nonlinear (audio)
: 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 noun
plural nonlinearities
nonlinearly adverb

Examples of nonlinear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Work is often nonlinear and can feature interviews, sound bites, scripted segments, sound effects, and music. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026 This process may have influenced the development of future generations in a nonlinear way. Literary Hub, 1 May 2026 Beyond matrix multiplication operations, machine learning models perform other types of math, like nonlinear layers, normalization, the softmax function, and more. Olivia Hsu, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Apr. 2026 The seamless integration of old and new feels stealthy, and a touch subversive, a doubling-down on the museum’s approach to time as nonlinear, sinuous and delightfully slippery. Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonlinear

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonlinear was in 1884

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Cite this Entry

“Nonlinear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonlinear. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

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