piecemeal

1 of 2

adverb

piece·​meal ˈpēs-ˌmēl 

-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

Adverb

• gradually
• bit by bit

Adjective

• gradual

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

Adverb

To be clear, the mundaneness, examined piecemeal, is undeniably horrific. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

This rule is designed to eliminate the gaps, configuration errors and vulnerabilities that occur when legacy systems are updated piecemeal, ensuring absolute cryptographic agility across the full enterprise stack. — Adi Karisik, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Adjective

To meet these goals, the university is contemplating four initiatives to add to its existing piecemeal partnerships. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Still, the country’s top-down regulatory system allows Beijing to more quickly step in if security and privacy issues get out of hand, a contrast from the US’ often slow-moving and piecemeal approach. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for piecemeal

• bookmobile
• cochineal
• nonideal
• peroneal
• philomel
• snowmobile
• waterwheel
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel

Kids Definition

piecemeal

1 of 2 adverb

piece·​meal ˈpē-ˌsmēl 

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