linearly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "linearly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts related to mathematics, programming, or describing processes that follow a straight line or sequential order. Example: "The data should be analyzed linearly to identify trends over time."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Forget everything you learned!' MBAs think too linearly".

The Economist

This is because everything scales linearly and more people will bear the brunt or enjoy the benefits—of a country led by candidate X rather than candidate Y.

The Economist

The result that no level of radiation could be considered safe, and that health risks increased linearly with exposure was adopted as the official model, and remains the dominant theory today.But not everyone is sure that it works.

The Economist

Wayne Coburn and Steven Boggs of the University of California, Berkeley, used the RHESSI data to assert, in a paper published in May in Nature, that around 80% of the gamma rays in this particular burst were "linearly polarised".

The Economist

"You can't tell a story linearly if you want people to understand," he explains on screen.

The Economist

The climatic effects of an eruption do not increase linearly with its size, but if it arrived without years of warning (time to allow massive precautionary stockpiling) a repeat of the Toba eruption today would be a devastating blow to food security on a global scale and could be expected to cause tens of millions or hundreds of millions of casualties.

The Economist

Malthus claimed that, if unchecked, human population would expand exponentially, while food production could increase only linearly, by bringing new land into cultivation.

The Economist

The peak heights vary linearly with concentration.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The advantage of such an arrangement is that photodetectors are extremely sensitive, have a fast time response, and respond linearly to the energy of the light over a wide range of light intensities (see below Optical detectors).

Encyclopedia Britannica

When investigators made records of responses from neurons in area 17 there was an interesting change in the nature of the receptive fields; there was still the organization into excitatory (on) and inhibitory (off) zones, but these were linearly arranged, so that the best stimulus for evoking a response was a line, either white on black or black on white.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Linearly polarized light (light vibrating in one plane, as shown in the Figure) is passed through a liquid, such as nitrobenzene, contained in a cell with transparent walls.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "linearly" in technical contexts, ensure the relationship you're describing truly follows a straight-line pattern. If the relationship is more complex (e.g., exponential or logarithmic), use a more accurate descriptor.

Common error

Avoid using "linearly" to describe relationships that are actually non-linear. For example, saying "the effort increased linearly with time" might be misleading if the effort actually increased exponentially due to fatigue or other factors.

Linguistic Context

The word "linearly" functions primarily as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the manner in which an action is performed or a relationship exists. As Ludwig AI shows, it indicates a linear or directly proportional relationship, arrangement, or progression.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

Encyclopedias

25%

News & Media

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "linearly" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adverb that indicates a relationship or progression that is straight, sequential, or directly proportional. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's commonly found in science, encyclopedias, and news media, suggesting a formal and technical register. When using "linearly", ensure that the relationship you're describing truly fits a linear model, and consider alternative terms like "sequentially" or "directly" if a linear relationship doesn't fully capture the complexity. Avoiding the assumption of linearity where it doesn't exist is key to clear and accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in a linear fashion

This alternative directly replaces the adverb with a prepositional phrase using the adjective "linear".

in a straight line

This phrase emphasizes the geometric aspect of "linearly", focusing on direction.

sequentially

This alternative highlights the chronological or step-by-step progression implied by "linearly".

in sequence

Similar to "sequentially", this emphasizes ordered progression.

directly

This option emphasizes a direct relationship or impact.

proportionally

This emphasizes the proportional relationship between two variables.

in a proportional manner

A more formal way of saying proportionally.

step by step

Highlights a process occurring one step at a time.

progressively

Emphasizes gradual advancement in a straight-forward manner.

in order

Focuses on the arrangement or sequence of events or items.

FAQs

How can I use "linearly" in a sentence?

You can use "linearly" to describe a relationship that increases or decreases at a constant rate, or something arranged in a straight line. For example, "The cost increases "linearly" with the amount of material used."

What's the difference between "linearly" and "exponentially"?

"Linearly" describes a relationship where the change is constant, while "exponentially" means the change increases at an increasing rate. In a linear relationship, a graph would be a straight line, while in an exponential relationship, the graph would curve upward.

What are some alternatives to using "linearly" in my writing?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "sequentially", "directly", or "proportionally" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it always correct to assume that something progresses "linearly"?

No, it's not always correct. Many real-world phenomena do not follow a linear progression. It's important to verify that the relationship truly follows a straight-line pattern before using "linearly" to describe it. In complex systems, changes may occur "exponentially" or according to other patterns.