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

But Shapiro himself seemed to acknowledge a mismatch, in proposing incremental policy changes to counter acts of murder. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

But as Russia makes incremental progress, especially in its bid to capture Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk oblast, Putin may be in no rush to compromise, betting that western unity could fracture. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

Then there’s 800 that give us incremental productivity benefits in all kinds of spaces. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025

Orr’s portrait of strategic moderation—building coalitions, leveraging federal power, achieving incremental but lasting change—offers lessons for contemporary movements. —Ron Stodghill, Miami Herald, 25 Nov. 2025

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