gradation

noun

gra·​da·​tion grā-ˈdā-shən 

grə-

1

a

: a series forming successive stages

the gradations of evolutionary development

b

: a step or place in an ordered scale

2

: an advance by regular degrees

gradations of social progress

3

: a gradual passing from one tint or shade to another

4

: the act or process of grading

5

: ablaut

gradational

grā-ˈdā-sh(ə-)nəl 

grə-

adjective

gradationally adverb

Did you know?

In the Boy Scouts, gradations of rank move upward from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout. A violin or a voice can produce gradations of musical pitch too small to appear in written music. In the 18th century Jonathan Swift could even write of "the several kinds and gradations of laughter, which ladies must daily practice by the looking-glass".

Examples of gradation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Latin America, as Hayes-Bautista explained, after centuries of Indigenous and Spanish intermingling, racial and ethnic lines were fluid, with myriad, subtle gradations of color, lineage and heritage. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Opt for warm tones on one hand and cool tones on the other, as pictured above, or go for a true-to-life rainbow gradation. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 2 June 2026

The result is smoother color gradation and exceptional post-processing flexibility—qualities that even the highest-resolution full-frame setups struggle to match. — Robb Rice, Robb Report, 10 May 2026

When communication gets reduced to brief messages and reaction emojis, the gradation of human emotion disappears from the exchange. — Kwame Christian Esq, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see grade entry 1

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for gradation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

gradation

noun

gra·​da·​tion grā-ˈdā-shən 

grə-

1

a

: a series of grades

b

: grade entry 2 sense 2

2

: the act or process of grading

gradational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

gradationally

-ē

adverb