gradation

noun gra·da·tion \ grā-ˈdā-shən , grə- \

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of gradation

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

play \grā-ˈdā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl, grə-\ adjective

—

gradationally

adverb

See gradation defined for English-language learners

See gradation defined for kids

Recent Examples of gradation from the Web

For a network like OWN, there is an immediate advantage in its singular focus on black life in all its gradations.

— jason parham, WIRED, "How Oprah’s Network Finally Found Its Voice," 19 June 2018
But even within her sport, there are gradations of crazy.

— david wharton, latimes.com, "Ultra running can mean extreme heat, mountain climbs and, oh yeah, look out for those trees," 14 June 2018
Over the years, the scale has stretched to 10, in order to accommodate more gradations of sensation.

— nicola twilley, The New Yorker, "The Neuroscience of Pain," 9 May 2016
So, despite Helmchen’s gradations of touch, tone and color, his swift, clean interpretations suggested the pieces had been pretty much unencumbered by extramusical associations.

— alan artner, chicagotribune.com, "German pianist Martin Helmchen closes Piano Series with Orchestra Hall recital," 11 June 2018
These dozen evocative miniatures lend themselves to his crystalline precision and wide array of dynamic gradations, as his new recording of Debussy’s Book 2 Preludes, and Sunday’s recital, demonstrated.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Youth and experience score separate victories, as Orlinski debuts and Pollini returns," 24 Apr. 2018
Imagine something that looks like a spreadsheet but instead of numbers it’s filled with colors of varying hues and gradations.

— monique brouillette, WIRED, "New Brain Maps With Unmatched Detail May Change Neuroscience," 8 Apr. 2018
This orientation—some might call it sideways—creates a gradation of microclimates suited to a diverse assortment of grapes.

— matt jaffe, Los Angeles Magazine, "What to Drink, Eat, and See on a Weekend Wine Getaway to the Santa Ynez Valley," 26 Apr. 2018
The mood inside the White House in recent days has verged on mania, as Trump increasingly keeps his own counsel and senior aides struggle to determine the gradations between rumor and truth.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Trump plans to replace McMaster, maybe others," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gradation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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".