exponential

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/ UK /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #38471

Meanings

1

adj
describing growth or decay whose rate is proportional to the quantity's current value, producing repeated multiplication over equal intervals

At a fixed annual percentage, the investment shows exponential growth rather than increasing by the same amount each year.
2

adj
relating to an exponent or to a mathematical expression in which a variable occurs as an exponent

The equation has an exponential term with time in the exponent.
3

noun
an exponential function or expression

The solution is an exponential that approaches zero as time increases.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · describing growth or decay... multiplicative

3 noun · an exponential function or... exponential function

Opposites

linearnonexponential

Word family

Derived forms biexponentialexponentialityexponentializeexponentiallyhyperexponentialhypoexponentialmultiexponentialnonexponential

Related forms exponent exponentiation logarithmicgeometric

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

exponential decay
a decrease by a consistent proportion over equal intervals

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Formed from exponent + -ial. Exponent comes from Latin exponens ("setting forth"), from exponere. The mathematical adjective first described expressions involving exponents; its growth sense follows from functions whose variable appears in the exponent.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# exponential

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌek.spəˈnen.ʃəl/
**Frequency rank:** 38471

## Meanings
1. describing growth or decay whose rate is proportional to the quantity's current value, producing repeated multiplication over equal intervals
2. relating to an exponent or to a mathematical expression in which a variable occurs as an exponent
3. an exponential function or expression

## Examples
- At a fixed annual percentage, the investment shows exponential growth rather than increasing by the same amount each year.
- The equation has an exponential term with time in the exponent.
- The solution is an exponential that approaches zero as time increases.

## Synonyms
- multiplicative
- exponential function

## Antonyms
- linear
- nonexponential

## Derived Forms
- biexponential
- exponentiality
- exponentialize
- exponentially
- hyperexponential
- hypoexponential
- multiexponential
- nonexponential

## Related Forms
- exponent
- exponentiation
- logarithmic
- geometric

## Etymology
Formed from exponent + -ial. Exponent comes from Latin exponens ("setting forth"), from exponere. The mathematical adjective first described expressions involving exponents; its growth sense follows from functions whose variable appears in the exponent.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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