Linear writing is writing which uses symbols made up out of lines. Arguably, this could also refer to the arrangement of the symbols on the written page, as most written texts appear in ranks of parallel lines.

The term linear writing is used to characterize a particular writing system and to distinguish it from non-linear writing, which is not made up of lines.

The first examples of structured linear writing have been found in the lower Danube Valley and date from around 5000 BC. The first examples of Sumerian writing in Mesopotamia date from around 4000 BC.