exponential

[ˌɛk.spəʊ.ˈnɛn.tʃəl]

[ˌɛk.spoʊ.ˈnɛn.tʃəl]

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An exponential increase happens when something grows rapidly and continuously gets bigger and faster.

You might hear people talk about population growth being an exponential issue because it doesn't just double over time but increases at an ever-faster rate. For example, if a city's population is growing exponentially, the number of new residents will not just keep going up by a little bit each year but will get much bigger much quicker. This can make planning for things like housing and services really tricky because the growth is so unpredictable.

How common is "exponential"?

Word exponential is considered rare in modern English.
It appears most frequently in academic texts and less often in other writings.

Definitions

noun

Any function that has an exponent as an independent variable.

adjective

Relating to an exponent.
Expressed in terms of a power of e.
Characterised by a rate of change that is proportional to the value of the varying quantity, or, equivalently, by a doubling or halving over successive fixed intervals of time or other parameter.
Example: There were two deaths on Monday, four on Tuesday, and eight on Wednesday. The rate of increase seems exponential.
Characterised by a very rapid rate of change, especially increase.

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Real examples of "exponential" in context

We simulated if you can really reach anyone in 6 steps

Entertainment

And that ramp up does look exponential at the beginning and then it kind of looks linear there as well, but it's almost like you can't go any faster.

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