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Synonyms

gradually

American

[graj-oo-uh-lee] / ˈgrædʒ u ə li /

adverb

by small degrees or little by little.

The hurricane moved northwestward to northward for two days, gradually weakened to a depression, and then turned eastward.
Over the following decades, the curriculum was gradually expanded, with additional offerings in history, government, languages, geology, and geography.

Other Word Forms

ungradually adverb

Etymology

Origin of gradually

gradual ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In January, South Korea became the first country to have an AI law take full effect, while the European Union is gradually phasing in a set of rules that will become completely applicable in 2027.

From Barron's

Wholesale price increases typically filter through gradually, often appearing in increments of a few cents a day.

From Barron's

Wholesale price increases typically filter through gradually, often appearing in increments of a few cents a day.

From Barron's

The process functions like a 'mechanical ratchet', gradually advancing division without requiring a fully closed contractile ring.

From Science Daily

Converting natural gas into flexible chemical intermediates could expand industrial options and gradually decrease reliance on traditional petrochemical feedstocks.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.