1
as in gradual
proceeding or changing by steps or degrees
the incremental evolution of the collection from a specialized gallery into a comprehensive art museum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cumulative
produced by a series of additions of identical or similar things
the incremental total for my collection of baseball cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of incremental
Most dedicated our lives to raising families, and to a more incremental, peaceful type of change.
—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
But robo-advisors are today regarded as a generic, incremental feature at best.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Innovations are incremental, embedded in larger systems.
—Ugo Troiano, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Moscow’s forces have made only incremental gains across rural areas.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incremental
Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
But robo-advisors are today regarded as a generic, incremental feature at best.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Innovations are incremental, embedded in larger systems.
—Ugo Troiano, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Moscow’s forces have made only incremental gains across rural areas.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incremental
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incremental
Adjective
-
The flat logistic curve that makes the rising tide gradual also means the final climb toward 99%-plus reliability is a long one, a meaningful buffer for error-intolerant professions in law, medicine, and engineering.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, Sosnowski predicts that a gradual warmup is forecast in most cases after a cool start to the week.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Workers who participated in vocational or technical programs within three years of displacement saw roughly two percentage points more cumulative wage growth over the following decade and a 10-percentage-point lower probability of returning to unemployment.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In September, the council also approved raises for Denver police officers, who will receive staggered pay bumps, adding a cumulative 16% to their salaries over the next three years.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incremental.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incremental. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
