Linearising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To adjust or modify a function or graph so that it becomes linear in nature
2. To transform a relationship or dataset into a straight-line format for analysis or interpretation
3. To simplify a complex system or equation by approximating its behavior with a linear model

Etymology: "Linearising" is the British spelling of "linearizing," the present participle of a verb built from the adjective "linear," which comes from Latin "linearis," meaning "of a line," derived from "linea," a thread or line. The adjective passed into English in the sense of something made of or resembling lines, and later took on the mathematical sense of a relationship whose graph forms a straight line. The verb is formed by adding the suffix "-ise" to "linear," a pattern English uses widely to turn adjectives and nouns into verbs meaning "to make or become" something. To linearise is therefore literally to make something linear, which is why the term now covers both straightening out a relationship between variables and reshaping a dataset so its values follow a straight-line pattern.

Synonyms: straightening, aligning