How to Use quadratic in a Sentence

quadratic

adjective
  • How many quadratic curves lie on a quintic surface?
    — Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Here is a plot of his position as a function of time along with a quadratic fit.
    — Rhett Allain, WIRED, 4 June 2019
  • Here is the y-position of that water as a function of time with a quadratic fit.
    — Rhett Allain, WIRED, 23 Aug. 2009
  • In fifth grade, Leilani was able to derive the quadratic formula.
    — Karen Pearlman, sandiegouniontribune.com, 29 May 2017
  • Venture’s go-to quadratic sidecut impressed the carving crew, too.
    — Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Resistance rose in an immaculate line rather than the standard quadratic curve.
    — Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023
  • In math class, McNatt quickly worked through quadratic equations on her laptop.
    — Maria Danilova, The Seattle Times, 28 Aug. 2017
  • This is just one example of what’s called a quadratic polynomial, in which the variable is raised to the second power.
    — Quanta Magazine, 22 Feb. 2021
  • Outside of classroom-ready examples, the quadratic method isn't simple.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 6 Dec. 2019
  • The way quadratic funding works is that dollars matched are based off of the number of contributions to a project as opposed to the total amount raised.
    — Kyle Westaway, Forbes, 16 June 2022
  • Well, any two quadratic polynomials can only intersect in two points.
    — Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Then, in summer 2024, while working on a different problem, the pair had to use quadratic twists again.
    — Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 3 Feb. 2025
  • The proof hinges on a centuries-old principle called quadratic reciprocity that involves the squares of two prime numbers.
    — Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Most high school students know how to solve quadratic equations, such as −x−3=0, using the quadratic formula.
    — Quanta Magazine, 30 June 2022
  • This would be an example of quadratic resource value assessment, in which resources are valued most highly at a certain peak level.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Oct. 2020
  • For example, when n = 2, this gives us the quadratic polynomial x2 – 1.
    — Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2021
  • For instance, the seashells above were digitally graphed using a series of exponential and quadratic functions.
    — Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Feb. 2020
  • In one mode of quantum-inspired, those linear equations are rewritten as quadratic equations, in which multiple variables can be multiplied by each other.
    — Isabelle Bousquette, WSJ, 10 June 2022
  • Gauss’s work is not just quadratic reciprocity and Gaussian curvature.
    — Rachel Crowell, Quanta Magazine, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Increasingly, his four teenagers’ work on quadratic equations and imaginary zeros has felt like an exercise in futility.
    — Yoree Koh, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2020
  • The decision to settle on a cubic rather than quadratic function or even higher order polynomial is somewhat arbitrary.
    — Korok Ray, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
  • Moreover, the waitresses' tips varied with age in a negative, quadratic relationship, increased with breast size, increased with having blond hair, and decreased with body size.
    — Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019
  • One neat way to fix this problem, suggests Numberphile, is to redesign speedometers to show the quadratic increase in energy that results from linear increases in speed.
    — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2018
  • The shape provides ample stability, with quick edge control and a tapered linear quadratic sidecut that encourages easy transitions and reliable grip.
    — Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2023
  • And of course, quadratic reciprocity crops up repeatedly within number theory.
    — Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Studies reveal a robust quadratic effect, such that that maximum fashionableness is attained when outfits are neither too coordinated nor too different.
    — Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 4 Sep. 2014
  • In addition, in regular metals, the resistance that electric current experiences typically rises in a quadratic way at low temperatures—slowly to start with as the metal gets warmer, and then faster and faster.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 4 Jan. 2024
  • Latent growth curve analyses indicated that self-esteem follows a quadratic trajectory across the adult life span, increasing during young and middle adulthood, reaching a peak at about age 60 years, and then declining in old age.
    — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 2 Apr. 2010
  • Ahmadi and Zhang ruled out the existence of an efficient algorithm that always finds locally optimal solutions to some quadratic optimization problems.
    — Quanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2021
  • Philanthropists are also experimenting with quadratic funding.
    — Puja Ohlhaver, Wired, 1 Sep. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quadratic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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