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

There is a range of in-between outcomes, a spectrum that reflects gradations of sovereignty and degrees of religious or ethnic autonomy. —Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025

By taking this searching approach, writers can more fully capture the experience of disability—its gradations and contradictions, its gifts and its burdens. —Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025

And emotion is almost infinite in terms of the gradation of it and the spectrum of human emotions. —Katie Atkinson, Billboard, 17 June 2025

That’s too bad, because Smart is more than capable of a subtler gradation of performance. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see grade entry 1

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for gradation

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

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