piecemeal

1 of 2

adverb

piece·​meal ˈpēs-ˌmēl How to pronounce piecemeal (audio)
-ˈmēl
1
: one piece at a time : gradually
2
: in pieces or fragments : apart

piecemeal

2 of 2

adjective

: done, made, or accomplished piece by piece or in a fragmentary way
piecemeal reforms in the system

Synonyms of piecemeal

Examples of piecemeal in a Sentence

Adverb remodeled their house piecemeal because of budgetary constraints one well-aimed blow ripped the piñata piecemeal Adjective They've done piecemeal repairs in the past, but the bridge now needs major reconstruction. Some people want the changes to be made all at once, but I think we should take a more piecemeal approach.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Both studios had fantastic teams, huge worldwide distribution, so no need to sell the movie piecemeal, country by country. Jay Glennie, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 Discovery could be run for cash, serve as a rollup vehicle, sell off assets piecemeal, reinvest in its brands or sell the whole thing off to private equity, notes Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif-Ehrlich, who was among the Wall Street insiders calling for such a strategic move last year. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
To handle the more daunting questions about AI transformation, Weingarten said that workers can take a pragmatic, piecemeal approach. Jared Perlo, NBC news, 13 Nov. 2025 Ultimately, our analysis is somewhat piecemeal, constrained by data that is divided along municipal boundaries and shaped by differing collection methods. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piecemeal

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piecemeal was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piecemeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piecemeal. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

piecemeal

1 of 2 adverb
piece·​meal ˈpē-ˌsmēl How to pronounce piecemeal (audio)
1
: one piece at a time : gradually
2
: in pieces : apart

piecemeal

2 of 2 adjective
: done, made, or accomplished piece by piece or in an incomplete way
piecemeal reforms

More from Merriam-Webster on piecemeal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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