PSA: "Exponentially" does not mean "a lot" or "very much".

[eppur_se_muova]

An exponential function is one in which some quantity (the dependent variable, call it y) depends very strongly on the value of some other quantity (the independent variable, call it x), specifically, as y = b^^x where b is some "base" value (and where ^^ is used to indicate a superscript, because we can't use super- or subscripts since the hack). So when some journo or pol says "the chances have increased exponentially" we are forced to ask "as a function of what ?" which turns out to be meaningless, because they shouldn't have described it that way.

"Exponentially" is used to express a strong dependence over the domain of x, whatever that might be, not a large change in a single instance.





This PSA brought to you by the Language Nazis Unified Front.

[manor321]

1. Its true, for all intensive purposes, your correct. :)

[Foolacious]

12. If I wouldn't have seen your reply first...

I would have written the same thing.

* * * * *

This one is my particular "favorite". Folks manage to mess it up so many different ways and all at the same time. For the record, my reply title should not start:

"If I wouldn't have seen"
"If I wouldn't of seen"
"If I wouldn't have saw"
"If I wouldn't of saw"

It should start:

"If I hadn't seen"

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. I appreciate it. This helps me sound slightly less dumb in the future. nt

[NCTraveler]

5. Exponentially means to increase rapidly....

Or to be expressed by a mathematical exponent.

[erlewyne]

26. That is what it means to me

a2+b2=c2 or e = mc2

[oberliner]

3. Yes, it does

ex·po·nen·tial·ly

adverb
1.
(with reference to an increase) more and more rapidly.

PSA: Words often have more than one definition.

[NCTraveler]

4. Exponentially does not mean "exponential function". nt

[oberliner]

7. Yes, this OP is not accurate

"rising or expanding at a steady and usually rapid rate" is a definition of exponential.

People have a hard time wrapping their minds around words having multiple definitions.

[MaryMagdaline]

17. The OP has to realize he/she has lost this battle

Once Webster accepts a certain definition, it’s over.

[PatSeg]

6. According to Merriam-Webster

"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"

[hlthe2b]

8. You are correct as a mathematical principle and defnition, but there is a second definition

which is correct in usage (if not in mathematics)

Dictionary
ex·po·nen·tial·ly
ˌekspəˈnen(t)SHəlē/
adverb
adverb: exponentially

1.
(with reference to an increase) more and more rapidly.
"our business has been growing exponentially"
2.
Mathematics
by means of or as expressed by a mathematical exponent.
"values distributed exponentially according to a given time constant"

[NCTraveler]

11. I don't believe it is correct with respect to mathematics.

Exponentially and exponential function do not hold the same meaning.

[RKP5637]

9. ...

[VOX]

10. Hahahaha "Language Nazis Unified Front"

Thank you for that. Where may I apply for membership?

[oasis]

13. I'm always receptive to positive input. Ya done good.

[Wounded Bear]

14. In literal terms...

"exponential" change indicates a change in the rate of change, whether increasing or decreasing. Yes, you can decrease exponentially.

However, it has become a figure of speech in the vernacular with a meaning that something is changing rapidly.

Even grammar nazis have to allow terms being used as a figure of speech. To not do that would be hyperbolic (an exponential expression BTW and could get you hoist on your own petard.

[yonder]

19. "change in the rate of change"

Yes, that has always been my understanding. The excellent sketch in post #9 shows that well. It is not linear.

[Salviati]

20. The issue that people should be aware of is this:

It's a figure of speech used by people to make what they say sound more educated, but to someone who know what they're talking about it's a dead giveaway that the person who's saying it doesn't really have a deep understanding of their statement. As someone who teaches science, students are likely to describe any curved relationship as "exponential". You're much better off describing the phenomena in plainer language e.g. "growing at an increasing rate", which is much more likely to be both descriptively and mathematically true.

See also using accelerating and decelerating interchangeably with speeding up and slowing down.

[eppur_se_muova]

21. Like "impact" as a verb, this is an expression which suddenly leaped into widespread public use ...

... because someone who sounded smart used it on TV.

In this case, I think it's more a case of people constantly grasping for a superlative to top the previous superlative. How else to explain 'ginormous' ?

[edhopper]

15. Sorry

Last edited Sat Jul 21, 2018, 01:26 PM - Edit history (1)

but there is a common usage to differentiate it from something increasing incrementially.
We say it is increasing exponentially to show a big increase.

It is understood that X to the power of 3 is bigger than X+3 or even X x 3.

[Igel]

22. It's a spreading usage.

It's becoming more common.

And when you get kids used to the common, base usage and they need to approach math, they assume that it's math that's the usurper.

As for saying, "We should never resist common usage," just look at slurs and how we've extended what a slur is and the number of vocables included in that category.

[edhopper]

23. Hey slow down bucko

it's my wife with the MA in English.

[Saguaro]

16. An exponential function takes very small things and turns them into very big things...

and very big things into even bigger things. Ergo, Trump went from being fucked to being fucked big time.

[aikoaiko]

18. Does the Language Nazis Unified Front not understand metaphors and other FOS?

[Captain Stern]

25. But, we aren't discussing metaphors.

The things we are talking about here are kind of like similes.

[DavidDvorkin]

24. And "epicenter" does not mean a really intense kind of center

It's the point on the surface of the earth closest to the center of a quake.

Unfortunately, that battle has been lost as well.

[AndJusticeForSome]

27. Here, I'll toss this in for some added confusion

From Wikipedia

In microbiology, the rapidly growing exponential growth phase of a cell culture is sometimes called logarithmic growth. During this bacterial growth phase, the number of new cells appearing are proportional to the population. This terminological confusion between logarithmic growth and exponential growth may be explained by the fact that exponential growth curves may be straightened by plotting them using a logarithmic scale for the growth axis.

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Its vernacular usage is increasing exponentially.

Last edited Sat Jul 21, 2018, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

[eppur_se_muova]

34. (as a function of time) nt

[dalton99a]

29. How much worse?

[grantcart]

30. The use of the word to mean something is changing at an increasing rate has been growing

Exponentially.

[Ilsa]

31. It's become an exponentially worse problem, literally, the penultimate of linguistic ineptitude!

If only I could come up with a few more.

[johnp3907]

32. I use to agree but I did a 360.

Supposably, it begs the question of weather you’re number’s jive.

[UTUSN]

33. Sometimes the Communicatee's assumption/perception/projection is what's wrong: Example "erstwhile"

Once I got lambasted here with withering patronizing and condescending when I used "erstwhile" referring to my local radio wingnut talk show host, as in, "the erstwhile owner of the station..."

The DUer said that "erstwhile" is not a term of denigration, that it means "former" or "previously". That is correct, but I never intended what the DUer assumed I did because the person I was talking about did, indeed, "used to be" the owner of the station.

The problem was my omission of information, a detail about his previous/former ownership that was irrelevant to the content of my post, so he is, indeed, the "erstwhile" owner but it doesn't matter to the subject of the discussion. The DUer *assumed* I was using "erstwhile" as a pejorative against his wingnuttiness. So I had needlessly injected the previous/former status and even if I had included the fact that the person had previously owned the station it had no bearing on the content.

My example is not a good one, since my point is that the COMMUNICATEE's perception/assumption/projection might be wrong, while my example is blunted because that situation contained an omission in context.