A linear search, also known as a sequential search, is a technique for locating an element within a list. It iteratively checks each element of the list until a match is found or the entire list has been searched.
A linear search is the most basic way to search a data set. Each item of data is examined until a match is found, beginning at the beginning of the data set. The search is over once the item is located. If no match is found, the algorithm must deal with it.