Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Linear search is a simple searching algorithm that checks each element in a list one by one until it finds a match or reaches the end of the list. It is commonly used when there is no specific order or structure to the data.