gradual

• graduall (obsolete)

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”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹadʒuəl/, /ˈɡɹadjuəl/, /ˈɡɹadʒəl/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəl/, /ˈɡɹæd͡ʒəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɛdʒʉɘl/, /ˈɡɹɛdʒɘl/
• Hyphenation: grad‧u‧al, grad‧ual, gradu‧al
• Rhymes: (General American) -ædʒəl

gradual (comparative more gradual, superlative most gradual)

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

   a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline

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

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

• stepwise

• sudden
• abrupt

• insidious

gradual (plural graduals)

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

Borrowed from Medieval Latin graduālis.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencia)
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: gra‧du‧al

gradual m or f (masculine and feminine plural graduals)

1. gradual

• gradualment

• grau

• “gradual” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “gradual”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “gradual” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “gradual” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

From Medieval Latin graduālis.

• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: gra‧du‧al

gradual m or f (plural graduais)

1. gradual

• gradualmente

• grao

• “gradual”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• “gradual” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).

• graduau

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

gradual m (feminine singular graduala, masculine plural graduals, feminine plural gradualas)

1. gradual

• gradualament

• Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 357.

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin graduālis.

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: gra‧du‧al

gradual m or f (plural graduais, comparable, comparative mais gradual, superlative o mais gradual or gradualíssimo)

1. gradual

• gradualmente

• “gradual”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Borrowed from Medieval Latin graduālis.

• IPA^(key): /ɡɾaˈdwal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: gra‧dual

gradual m or f (masculine and feminine plural graduales)

1. gradual

gradual m (plural graduales)

1. (Roman Catholicism) gradual

• “gradual”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10