GRADUAL DEFINITIONS - 12 definitions found
gradual 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 gradual gradaul Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) gradual 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 English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary gradual 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 English Explanatory Dictionary gradual ˈɡrædjuəl 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. øøgradually adv. gradualness n. [med.L gradualis, -ale f. L gradus step, the noun referring to the altar-steps on which the response is sung] Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 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 Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 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. Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms gradual a. 1. Regular (step by step), progressive. 2. Slow, approximative, by degrees. English Explanatory Dictionary (Synonyms) gradual ˈɡrædjuəl adj. easy, gentle, even, moderate, slow, piecemeal, inchmeal, regular, steady: There is a gradual slope down to the garden wall. The acceleration was gradual. He became aware of a gradual erosion of his authority. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 68 Moby Thesaurus words for "gradual": 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 |
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