gradual

grad·u·al
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UK/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/UK/ˈɡɹadʒəl/UK/ˈɡɹadjuəl/US/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəl/

adjective

Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees

“a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline”

Similar
stepwiseincrementalpiecemealpiecewiseslowbit-by-bitin small stagesgradational
Opposite
suddenabruptsteep
OriginMedieval Latin graduālis ← Latin gradus ← Proto-Indo-European *gʰradʰ- →
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

adjectivegradual (comparative more gradual, superlative most gradual)

comparative more gradual · superlative most gradual · alternative graduall

  1. Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees

    a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline

    1 more example

    Creatures animate with gradual life / Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man.

    1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

    Synonyms: stepwise, incremental, piecemeal, piecewise, slow

noungradual (plural graduals)

plural graduals · alternative graduall

  1. ChristianityAn antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
  2. ChristianityA service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveProceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees

Similar
stepwiseincrementalpiecemealpiecewiseslow
Opposite
suddenabrupt

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveproceeding in small stages

Similar
bit-by-bitin small stagespiecemealgradationalgradatorygraduated
Opposite
sudden

adjective(of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt

Similar
easygentlesloping
Opposite
steep
Also see
easygentlegradationalgradatorygraduatedincrementalpiecemealslopingslowstep-by-stepstepwise

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʰradʰ-
  2. Latingradus“step”
  3. Medieval Latingraduālis
  4. Englishgradual

From Medieval Latin graduālis, from Latin gradus (“step”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰradʰ-, *gʰredʰ- (“to walk, go”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍃 (griþs, “step, grade”), Bavarian Gritt (“step, stride”).

More words from Medieval Latin, Latin, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَدْرِيجِيّ
  • تَدْرِيجِيّ (tadrījiyy)proceeding by steps or small degrees
Bulgarian постепенен, тропар
  • постепенен (postepenen)proceeding by steps or small degrees
  • тропар (tropar)antiphone or responsory
Catalan gradual
  • gradualproceeding by steps or small degrees
Chinese Mandarin 逐漸的 /逐渐的, 平緩的 /平缓的
  • 逐漸的 /逐渐的 (zhújiàn de)proceeding by steps or small degrees
  • 平緩的 /平缓的 (pínghuǎn de)proceeding by steps or small degrees
Czech postupný, stupňovitý
  • postupnýproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • stupňovitýproceeding by steps or small degrees
Danish gradvis, trinvis
  • gradvisproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • trinvisproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • gradualeantiphone or responsory
  • gradualeservice book
Dutch geleidelijk, gestaag
  • geleidelijkproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • gestaagproceeding by steps or small degrees
Esperanto grada, malabrupta
  • gradaproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • malabruptaproceeding by steps or small degrees
Finnish asteittainen, vähittäinen
  • asteittainenproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • vähittäinenproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • graduaaliantiphone or responsory
  • graduaaliservice book
  • messulaulukirjaservice book
French graduel
  • graduelproceeding by steps or small degrees
German allmählich, graduell
  • allmählichproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • graduellproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • schrittweise zunehmendproceeding by steps or small degrees
Greek σταδιακός, βαθμιαίος
  • σταδιακός (stadiakós)proceeding by steps or small degrees
  • βαθμιαίος (vathmiaíos)proceeding by steps or small degrees
Hungarian fokozatos
  • fokozatosproceeding by steps or small degrees
Irish dréimreach
  • dréimreachproceeding by steps or small degrees
Italian graduale, graduale
  • gradualeproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • gradualeantiphone or responsory
  • gradualeservice book
Latin graduāle, graduāle
  • graduāleantiphone or responsory
  • graduāleservice book
Lithuanian laipsniškas
  • laipsniškasproceeding by steps or small degrees
Polish stopniowy, graduał
  • stopniowyproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • graduałantiphone or responsory
  • graduałservice book
Portuguese gradual
  • gradualproceeding by steps or small degrees
Russian постепе́нный, пла́вный
  • постепе́нный (postepénnyj)proceeding by steps or small degrees
  • пла́вный (plávnyj)proceeding by steps or small degrees
Spanish gradual, paulatino
  • gradualproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • paulatinoproceeding by steps or small degrees
Swedish gradvis
  • gradvisproceeding by steps or small degrees
Ukrainian поступо́вий
  • поступо́вий (postupóvyj)proceeding by steps or small degrees
Welsh graddol, cynyddol
  • graddolproceeding by steps or small degrees
  • cynyddolproceeding by steps or small degrees
Cite this entry
APA

gradual. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gradual

MLA

“gradual.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gradual. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gradual,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gradual.

Source: gradual on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.