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

Without mentioning Stewart and Fazio by name, McCaughey said the Republicans will never beat Lamont with incremental policies in Connecticut that barely change the status quo. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026

Low drama, incremental improvement. —Jim Edwards, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

At the end of the report, Xcel requested $100 million in incremental funding to cover the costs for managing energy supply for the summers of 2026 and 2027. —Laura Phillips, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026

In contrast, an EV paired with even a small solar setup can generate incremental charge, enough to keep systems running and, in some cases, extend range just enough to reach the next charging point. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 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