Adjacent Words

Gradual definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GRAD'UAL,a. Proceeding by steps or degrees; advancing step by step; passing from one step to another; regular and slow; as a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual increase of light in the morning is favorable to the eyes.
1. Proceeding by degrees in a descending line or progress; as a gradual decline.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: proceeding in small stages; "a gradual increase in prices" [ant: sudden]
2: (of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt; "a gradual slope" [ant: steep] n
1: (Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at Mass

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often capitalized Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin graduale, from Latin gradus step; from its being sung on the steps of the altar Date: 15th century 1. a book containing the choral parts of the Mass 2. a pair of verses (as from the Psalms) proper after the Epistle in the Mass II. adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin gradualis, from Latin gradus Date: 1658 1. proceeding by steps or degrees 2. moving, changing, or developing by fine or often imperceptible degrees • gradually adverb • gradualness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 taking place or progressing slowly or by degrees. 2 not rapid or steep or abrupt. --n. Eccl. 1 a response sung or recited between the Epistle and Gospel in the Mass. 2 a book of music for the sung Mass service. Derivatives: gradually adv. gradualness n. Etymology: med.L gradualis, -ale f. L gradus step, the noun referring to the altar-steps on which the response is sung

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gradual Grad"u*al, n. [LL. graduale a gradual (in sense 1), fr. L. gradus step: cf. F. graduel. See Grade, and cf. Grail a gradual.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) (a) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps. (b) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass. 2. A series of steps. [Obs.] --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gradual Grad"u*al"; a. [Cf; F. graduel. See Grade, and cf. Gradual, n.] Proceeding by steps or degrees; advancing, step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow; as, a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline. Creatures animate with gradual life Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A gradual change or process occurs in small stages over a long period of time, rather than suddenly. Losing weight is a slow, gradual process... You can expect her progress at school to be gradual rather than brilliant. ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Regular (step by step), progressive. 2. Slow, approximative, by degrees.

Moby Thesaurus

ambling, cautious, circumspect, claudicant, crawling, creeping, creeping like snail, deliberate, dilatory, easy, even, faltering, flagging, foot-dragging, gentle, halting, hobbled, hobbling, idle, inchmeal, indolent, lagging, languid, languorous, lazy, leisurely, limping, lumbering, moderate, piecemeal, poking, poky, regular, relaxed, reluctant, sauntering, shuffling, slack, slothful, slow, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, staggering, steady, step-by-step, strolling, tentative, toddling, tortoiselike, tottering, trudging, turtlelike, unhurried, waddling