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

Deeper challenges China's policy announcements will be scrutinized for details on consumer stimulus, such as expanding trade-in subsidies, and any incremental support for the struggling property market. —Evelyn Cheng,anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026

The approach mirrors that of NASA's early Apollo program, which launched incremental, quick-succession missions to test and prove the technologies necessary to safely land astronauts on the moon. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026

The denim bottoms business grew at a mid-single-digit rate during Q4, thanks in part to incremental demand creation investments and activations around events like college football. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Mar. 2026

That is smart, incremental spending — not an all-or-nothing purchase. —Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 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