“Monotonic” vs. “Monotonous”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “monotonic” and “monotonous”

  • Monotonic refers to a consistent pattern, while monotonous refers to a lack of variation.
  • Monotonic is often used in scientific or technical contexts, while monotonous is used in everyday language.
  • Monotonic is usually associated with positive qualities, while monotonous is often seen as negative or undesirable.
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What is the definition of “monotonic” and “monotonous”?

Monotonic
  • Monotonic refers to a consistent increase or decrease in a particular attribute, without any fluctuations.
  • Monotonic can also refer to a mathematical function that never decreases or increases.
  • Monotonicity is an important concept in fields such as economics and computer science.
Monotonous
  • Monotonous refers to something that is tedious, repetitive, and lacking in variety.
  • Monotonous is often used to describe tasks or activities that become dull and uninteresting over time.
  • Monotonous can also describe a person's voice or tone that is lacking in variation.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Monotonic” is the more popular variant on the web.
More popular
Monotonic
23,800,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The graph of the function is monotonic, continuously increasing from left to right.
  2. The company's revenue exhibited a monotonic growth pattern, steadily increasing year after year.
  3. The athlete's performance showed a monotonic improvement over the course of the season, with each race resulting in a faster time.
Monotonous
22,100,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. Doing the same task every day can become monotonous and dull.
  2. The speech was monotonous, causing many of the audience members to nod off.
  3. The endless paperwork made the job feel monotonous and never-ending.
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