learning curve

American

noun

Education. a graphic representation of progress in learning measured against the time required to achieve mastery.
the process of learning upon which such a representation is based.

Her new job has a steep learning curve.

learning curve British

noun

a graphical representation of progress in learning

I'm still only half way up the learning curve

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One of Gyllenhaal’s biggest learning curves in directing “The Lost Daughter” was figuring out how to speak to each actor individually to get the most out of them.

From Los Angeles Times

“You have those games from last year, but obviously you still have a learning curve of how to play alongside one another and that’s with everybody else on the team as well,” Reaves said.

From Los Angeles Times

“It would just be quite the learning curve for really big city people to try and write content that’s relatable to them.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Dealing with a fast and furious game is, once again, a learning curve to take forward.

From BBC

In every way, it seems too early in the engineering and learning curve to risk humans.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023