The quality or state of three or more points lying on the same straight line.
From Latin 'col-' (together) and 'linearis' (of a line), formed in the 19th century for geometric applications. The suffix '-ity' forms abstract nouns describing qualities or states.
This concept matters hugely in computer graphics and statistics—when data points are collinear, it can break mathematical models and cause computers to crash or give nonsensical answers!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.