linearity

[ lin-ee-ar-i-tee ]

noun

, plural lin·e·ar·i·ties.

1. the property, quality, or state of being linear.
2. Television. the accuracy with which the shapes in a televised image are reproduced on the screen of a receiving set.
3. Electronics. the measure of the extent to which a certain response is directly proportional to the applied excitation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of linearity¹

First recorded in 1740–50; linear + -ity

Example Sentences

Foreman and the Wooster Group share an aversion to linearity, psychological realism and didacticism of any kind.

From Los Angeles Times

When he put together a manifesto for Black Dada in 2008, he wrote, “History is in fact an incomplete cube shirking linearity.”

From New York Times

She credits the playwright with freeing her from the constraints of naturalism and linearity: “The world is a fragmented place … it’s not beginning, middle, end. I was so happy to have that verified for me.”

From New York Times

Its abstract, marbled linearity is composed from an interaction with wind, which moved the liquid materials around on the sheet until they dried.

From Los Angeles Times

For those with certain cognitive conditions who move between devices, the linearity of the accessibility features across platforms means a more comforting, consistent experience.

From The Verge

Related Words

• breadth
• diameter
• dimension
• duration
• height
• limit
• magnitude
• mileage
• period
• piece
• portion
• quantity
• radius
• range
• section
• segment
• space
• span
• stretch
• term