nonlinearly
nonlinearly Lexical Profile
nonlinearly Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
In a way that does not progress in a straightforward, sequential, or chronological order.
"The director chose to tell the story nonlinearly, jumping back and forth between the protagonist's childhood and her adult life."
In a manner where the output, effect, or response is not strictly proportional to the input or cause.
"The material deforms nonlinearly when subjected to extreme stress, suddenly stretching much faster beyond a certain threshold."
Word Nuance & Usage
In mathematics and physics, 'nonlinearly' strictly denotes a lack of direct proportionality, whereas in literature and film critique, it refers to narratives presented out of chronological sequence.
• Rhymes for nonlinearly
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed from the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning not), the root 'linear' (from Latin 'linearis', meaning belonging to a line), and the English adverbial suffix '-ly'.