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gradual. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
gradual, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
gradual in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
gradual you have here. The definition of the word
gradual will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
gradual, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
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”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
gradual (comparative more gradual, superlative most gradual)
- 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], , →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.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
proceeding by steps or small degrees
- Arabic: تَدْرِيجِيّ (tadrījiyy)
- Asturian: gradual
- Belarusian: паступо́вы (pastupóvy)
- Bulgarian: постепенен (bg) (postepenen)
- Catalan: gradual (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 逐漸的／逐渐的 (zhújiàn de), 平緩的／平缓的 (pínghuǎn de) (of a slope)
- Czech: postupný (cs), stupňovitý
- Danish: gradvis, trinvis
- Dutch: geleidelijk (nl), gestaag (nl)
- Esperanto: malabrupta
- Finnish: asteittainen (fi), vähittäinen
- French: graduel (fr)
- Galician: gradual (gl)
- German: allmählich (de), graduell (de), schrittweise zunehmend
- Greek: σταδιακός (el) (stadiakós), βαθμιαίος (el) (vathmiaíos)
- Hungarian: fokozatos (hu)
- Irish: dréimreach
- Italian: graduale (it)
- Macedonian: постепен (postepen)
- Occitan: gradual
- Polish: stopniowy (pl)
- Portuguese: gradual (pt)
- Russian: постепе́нный (ru) (postepénnyj), пла́вный (ru) (plávnyj)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: по̀ступан
- Latin: pòstupan (sh)
- Spanish: gradual (es), paulatino (es)
- Swedish: gradvis (sv)
- Ukrainian: поступо́вий (postupóvyj)
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See also
Noun
gradual (plural graduals)
- (Christianity) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
- (Christianity) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.
Translations
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin graduālis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
gradual m or f (masculine and feminine plural graduals)
- gradual
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
Galician
Etymology
From Medieval Latin graduālis.
Adjective
gradual m or f (plural graduais)
- gradual
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
Portuguese
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin graduālis.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /ɡɾa.duˈaw/ , (faster pronunciation) /ɡɾaˈdwaw/
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: gra‧du‧al
Adjective
gradual m or f (plural graduais, comparable, comparative mais gradual, superlative o mais gradual or gradualíssimo)
- gradual
Derived terms
Further reading
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin graduālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɡɾaˈdwal/
- Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: gra‧dual
Adjective
gradual m or f (masculine and feminine plural graduales)
- gradual
Derived terms
Related terms
Noun
gradual m (plural graduales)
- (Roman Catholicism) gradual
Further reading