nonlinear
Say it: non-LIN-ee-uh /nɒnˈlɪnɪə/ · adjective
What “nonlinear” means
Changes in cause and effect aren't in a steady proportion.
More precisely: Not changing in proportion, so small causes can have huge effects and big ones tiny effects.
Example: “Learning is nonlinear: weeks of no progress, then everything clicks at once.”
When to use it
In science or everyday explanations, when equal amounts of effort or input produce very different amounts of change.
Similar words
disproportionate, uneven, unpredictable
Quick check
Adding one helper barely speeds the job up, but adding a second suddenly halves the time. How does the improvement behave?
nonlinear or linear?
Show the answer
nonlinear
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