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

Raman argues the current administration’s approach to homelessness — including the mayor’s flagship Inside Safe program — is too costly and incremental, and has called for broader structural changes to address housing affordability, homelessness and city services. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 3 June 2026

The Russian army is no longer able to grind out incremental capture of Ukrainian territory, and one million of its soldiers are thought to have been killed or wounded since hostilities began. —Elliott Goat, TheWeek, 3 June 2026

The transformation is incremental, technical, and constrained by implementation realities. —Ethan Stone june 3, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2026

This incremental upgrade means the sensor should pull in more light and less noise in low-light scenes. —Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 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