incremental

adjective

in·​cre·​men·​tal ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

ˌin-

: of, relating to, being, or occurring in especially small increments

incremental additions

incremental change

incrementally

ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

ˌin-

adverb

Synonyms of incremental

• gradual

Examples of incremental in a Sentence

the incremental evolution of the collection from a specialized gallery into a comprehensive art museum

the incremental total for my collection of baseball cards

Recent Examples on the Web

For decades, Toyota has built its reputation on a philosophy of steady, incremental improvement. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Rather than bring incremental upgrades, as F1 teams generally do across a season if their initial car concept is sound, Aston opted for massive changes at set points. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Critics say iPhone launches have settled into a rhythm of incremental updates. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 25 July 2026

As Chinese companies have rushed to develop AI models and hardware that can rival that of the US, the government has also carefully rolled out incremental measures to maintain social stability. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing incremental

• incremental repetition

Rhymes for incremental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• instrumental
• interdental
• monumental
• nonjudgmental