gradual

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gradual

/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/ UK
/ˈɡɹadʒəl/ UK
/ˈɡɹadjuəl/ UK
/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəl/ US
/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒəl/ US
/ˈɡɹɛdʒʉɘl/ New Zealand
/ˈɡɹɛdʒɘl/ New Zealand

Rhymes with (General American) -ædʒəl

Where it comes from

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”).

adjective more gradual · most gradual · graduall

Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline
Similar: stepwise, incremental, gradual, piecemeal, piecewise, slow

Opposite: sudden, abrupt

noun graduals · graduall

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

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: stepwise, gradational, piecemeal, sloping, step-by-step, easy, gentle, graduated, gradatory, bit-by-bit, gradualist, progressively, incremental, step-up, phase-out, steady

adjective

Opposite: sudden, abrupt

Translations

Every language

adj proceeding by steps or small degrees

Español	gradual, paulatino
中文	逐漸的 /逐渐的 zhújiàn de, 平緩的 /平缓的 pínghuǎn de
Português	gradual
Français	graduel
Deutsch	allmählich, graduell, schrittweise zunehmend
Italiano	graduale
Ελληνικά	σταδιακός stadiakós, βαθμιαίος vathmiaíos
Русский	постепе́нный postepénnyj, пла́вный plávnyj
العربية	تَدْرِيجِيّ tadrījiyy

noun antiphone or responsory

Italiano	graduale

noun service book

Italiano	graduale

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Cite this

MLA

"gradual." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/gradual. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

gradual. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/gradual

Chicago

"gradual." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/gradual.

BibTeX

@misc{gradual_2026,
  title = {gradual},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/gradual},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}