Linearly means in a straight line or in a steady, predictable way where each step follows directly from the one before it.

In math, when something increases linearly, it goes up at a constant rate. If you earn $5 per hour doing chores, your earnings grow linearly: after one hour you have $5, after two hours $10, after three hours $15. The relationship follows a straight line on a graph, with no sudden jumps or curves.

A story told linearly moves straight from beginning to middle to end, like reading a book from page one to the last page. Some movies don't tell their stories linearly: they might jump around in time, showing you the ending first, then flashing back to explain what happened.

When your teacher says to line up linearly, everyone forms one straight line. In contrast, a maze doesn't work linearly because you have to explore different paths, backtrack, and try various routes before finding the exit.

Things that happen linearly are usually easier to predict and understand because they follow a clear, straightforward pattern without sudden surprises or complications.