piecewise

[ pees-wahyz ]

adverb

, Mathematics.

1. denoting that a function has a specified property, as smoothness or continuity, on each of a finite number of pieces into which its domain is divided:

   a piecewise continuous function; a piecewise differentiable curve.

Word History and Origins

Origin of piecewise¹

First recorded in 1665–75; piece + -wise

Example Sentences

This is called a piecewise continuous solution.

From Science Daily

From behavioral motivations to the piecewise ‘progress’ of a species in exploiting sources of energy and development of materials and machines.

From Scientific American

One of the dead, for example, pays piecewise to experience a head cold, along with pay-as-you-go sneezes, merely because it is something to break up the monotony of eternity.

From Slate

At this point, the genome engineers' job became a bit like a railway engineer's maintenance programme - replacing the E. coli genome piecewise - section by section - rather than all at once.

From BBC

“Three hundred. Think about it. Sell them piecewise, you’ll pull down five hundred easy.”

From Literature