All 3 Uses

linear
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
(Auto-generated)

My head was swimming; I hoped it was Shay's nonlinear speech, and not a panic attack coming on.†

nonlinear = not straight

standard prefix: The prefix "non-" in nonlinear means not and reverses the meaning of linear. This is the same pattern you see in words like nonfat, nonfiction, and nonprofit.
Shay looked at me as if I were the one who couldn't follow a linear conversation.†
*
Shay was standing at the front of his house now, preaching to his congregation, disconnected from linear thought and everything but his moment of grandstanding.†

Definitions:

(1) (linear)
arranged in a straight line or progressing in a straight, orderly sequence -- often used for shapes, movement, time, or ideas
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)