linear
linear Lexical Profile
linear Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Arranged in, extending along, or resembling a straight or nearly straight line.
"The architect favored a clean, linear design for the modern museum wing."
Progressing from one stage to another in a single, sequential series of steps.
"Unlike traditional novels with a linear plot, the film jumps back and forth in time."
Able to be represented by a straight line on a graph, or involving variables only to the first power (in mathematics and physics).
"The data revealed a clear linear relationship between hours of study and test scores."
Involving or relating to the measurement of length in a single dimension only, as opposed to area or volume.
"The lumber yard prices its cedar fencing by the linear foot."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Linear' refers to a straight line or sequential progression, whereas 'lineal' refers specifically to direct hereditary descent in a family tree.
• Rhymes for linear
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin linearis ('belonging to a line'), from linea ('string of flax, thread, line'), derived from linum ('flax').