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nonconstant

nonconstant

6.3
Changing over time and not staying the same
  • adjective
  • /nɑnˈkɒnstənt/
translation icon : no constante
  • Due to its nonconstant nature, the river's flow varies greatly with the seasons.

Examples

  • Due to nonconstant variance by gender and race groups, robust standard errors are used to correct for heteroscedasticity in the regression models.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The temperature was nonconstant throughout the day, ranging from hot to cool.

  • The solution method presented later can be modified to account for nonconstant flexibilities.

    Academic text (1997)
  • For a nonconstant twist, the frequencies of the MHD wave modes are split, which has important consequences for standing waves.

    Blog text (6)
  • The project's timeline became nonconstant when additional tasks were added, causing delays.

Synonyms

ever-changing
vsnonconstant
15 4.3

Changing all the time

refers to not staying the same but does not imply continuous change
changeable
vsnonconstant
8 3.5

Able to become different or not stay the same

describes actual ongoing lack of steadiness rather than mere possibility
inconstant
vsnonconstant
2 7.5

Changing often and not staying the same

is the general description of not staying the same rather than frequent random shifts
changeful
vsnonconstant
  • Archaic
1 7.5

Tends to be different often

is the broader idea of not staying the same without stressing frequency
nonstationary
vsnonconstant
6.8

Changing over time and not staying the same

is the general, nontechnical way of saying not steady over time
fluctuating
vsnonconstant
6.1

Changing up and down often in a way you cannot guess

is not steady over time but does not require regular up and down swings

Antonyms

360 2.7

Stays the same over time

How Constant

constant
360 2.7
stable
473 2.3
nonconstant
6.3
variable
  • Specialized
140 4.2
erratic
94 6.1

Surface Forms

nonconstant positive

Morphology

nonconstant = constant (transparent) = non + constant

Formed with the productive negative prefix 'non-' plus the adjective 'constant', yielding the straightforward meaning 'not constant'.

Etymology

The word nonconstant comes from the prefix non- meaning 'not' and the word constant meaning 'staying the same'. So nonconstant means 'not staying the same', which is why we use it for things that change over time.