linear

English Online Dictionary. What means linear‎? What does linear mean?

English

Etymology

From Latin līneāris, from līnea (“line”) + -āris (adjectival suffix), equivalent to line +‎ -ar. Doublet of lineal.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪn.i.ɚ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪn.i.ə/

Adjective

linear (comparative more linear, superlative most linear)

1. Having the form of a line; straight or roughly straight; following a direct course.
2. Of or relating to lines.
3. Made, or designed to be used, in a step-by-step, sequential manner.

4. (botany, of leaves) Long and narrow, with nearly parallel sides.
5. (mathematics) (of polynomials or polynomial equations)
   1. (of a polynomial) Having degree one; that is, being of the form ${displaystyle a_x_+a_x_+\cdots +a_x_+b}$, where each ${displaystyle x_}$ is a variable. See also Linear polynomials on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

   2. (of a polynomial equation) Involving only linear polynomials. See also Linear equation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

6. (mathematics) (of functions or maps)
   1. (of a function between vector spaces) An additive, homogeneous mapping; that is, a function ${displaystyle f:V\to W}$ is linear if it distributes over vector addition (${displaystyle f(\mathbf +\mathbf )=f(\mathbf )+f(\mathbf )}$) and respects scalar multiplication (${displaystyle f(c\mathbf )=cf(\mathbf )}$). If ${displaystyle V}$ and ${displaystyle W}$ are vector spaces over a field ${displaystyle K}$, ${displaystyle f}$ may also be called a ${displaystyle K}$-linear map. See also linear map on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

   2. (of a function over a module) A module homomorphism; that is, a group homomorphism that commutes with scalar multiplication. See also Module homomorphism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
7. (physics) A type of length measurement involving only one spatial dimension (as opposed to area or volume).

Synonyms

• linelike

Antonyms

• nonlinear

Coordinate terms

• (pertaining to length): areal, spacial, spatial
• (one-dimensional unit): cubic, square

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

linear (plural linears)

1. (radio slang) Ellipsis of linear amplifier.

References

• linear on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “linear”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “linear”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Arline, Erlian, Irelan, Lanier, aliner, enrail, lanier, larine, nailer, renail

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin līneāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [li.neˈar]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [li.neˈa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [li.neˈaɾ]

Adjective

linear m or f (masculine and feminine plural linears)

1. linear

   Synonym: lineal

Related terms

• línia

Further reading

• “linear” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “linear”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “linear” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “linear” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Indonesian

Etymology

Internationalism, borrowed from Dutch lineair (“linear”), from French linéaire, from Latin līneāris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liˈnɛar/
• Rhymes: -ar, -r
• Hyphenation: li‧nè‧ar

Adjective

linèar

1. alternative spelling of linièr (“linear”)

References

Further reading

• “linear” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin līneāris.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: li‧ne‧ar

Adjective

linear m or f (plural lineares)

1. linear (having the form of a straight line)
2. (mathematics) linear (being a first-degree polynomial)
3. linear (made in a step-by-step, logical manner)

Related terms

• linha

Further reading

• “linear”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Romanian

Adjective

linear m or n (feminine singular lineară, masculine plural lineari, feminine and neuter plural lineare)

1. Alternative form of liniar

Declension

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lineˈaɾ/ [li.neˈaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: li‧ne‧ar

Etymology 1

From Latin lineāris.

Adjective

linear m or f (masculine and feminine plural lineares)

1. (botany) linear

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Latin lineāre.

Verb

linear (first-person singular present lineo, first-person singular preterite lineé, past participle lineado)

1. to line
2. to outline, mark out

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

• “linear”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10