exponential

adjective

ex·​po·​nen·​tial ˌek-spə-ˈnen(t)-shəl How to pronounce exponential (audio)
1
: of or relating to an exponent
2
: involving a variable in an exponent
10x is an exponential expression
3
: expressible or approximately expressible by an exponential function
especially : characterized by or being an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent)
an exponential growth rate
exponentially adverb

Examples of exponential in a Sentence

The business has experienced several years of exponential growth. Prices have increased at an exponential rate. 103 is an exponential expression.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That matters for new investors who are not only expecting exponential growth after the IPO but also longer-run stock performance. Brad Badertscher, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026 SpaceX serves as a signal that public markets are once again open at scale, but the math alone confirms that by the time unicorns like SpaceX, Anthropic, Stripe and Databricks go public, the exponential value creation is already gone. Jeffrey Stewart, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 The Sun were consistently among the WNBA’s top-performing franchises on and off the court before the league’s sudden exponential growth. Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 30 Mar. 2026 In the past year, the proliferation of AI agents has been exponential — software downloads to deploy them rose from 80,000 to 14 million, according to the AI Security Institute. Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exponential

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exponential was in 1701

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Cite this Entry

“Exponential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exponential. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

exponential

adjective
ex·​po·​nen·​tial ˌek-spə-ˈnen-chəl How to pronounce exponential (audio)
: of, relating to, or involving an exponent
xⁿ is an exponential expression
exponentially adverb

Medical Definition

exponential

adjective
ex·​po·​nen·​tial ˌek-spə-ˈnen-chəl How to pronounce exponential (audio)
: expressible or approximately expressible by an exponential function
an exponential growth rate
exponentially adverb

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