nonlinear

About 6.95 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Of a set of points, not lying on a straight line.
2. adjective Of a molecule, whose atoms do not lie in a straight line.
3. adjective Of a function, having a product of independent variables, or a variable with an exponent not equal to one.
4. adjective Of a system, whose output is not directly proportional to its input.
5. adjective Erratic and unpredictable; tending to jump back and forth.

   a film with a nonlinear plot

Similar words

linear accumulator intrinsically inherently nonlinearity non-linear straight-line disproportionate nonproportional curvilinear

Often followed by

systems optical programming system and equations dynamics effects function

Word family

nonlinearities nonlinearity nonlinearly