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

This is not only unrealistic, but the safest approach is incremental. —Daniela Binatti, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Restore those incentives, and natural gas’s share drops to around 41%, with wind picking up 29% and solar 15% of the incremental load. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 19 May 2026

There were pockets of space at the back of the room for latecomers to stand, and reporters tried to test him with the sort of incremental questions that even correspondents of inside baseball would balk at. —Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 19 May 2026

Some draftees have an immediate impact—this year’s Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, started two key players who were drafted last spring—but the process is mainly a means of incremental, long-term improvement. —Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 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