adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈɡɹadʒuəl/yod-coalescence
/ˈɡɹadʒəl/yod-coalescence
/ˈɡɹadjuəl/non-yod-coalescence
General-American:/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒuəl/
General-American:/ˈɡɹæd͡ʒəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
New-Zealand:/ˈɡɹɛdʒʉɘl/
New-Zealand:/ˈɡɹɛdʒɘl/
rhymes with (General American) -ædʒəl
CMU ARPABET:G R AE1 JH UW0 AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Proceeding or advancing by small, slow, regular steps or degrees
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
proceeding in small stages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a gradual increase in prices
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: sudden
5
adjective
Meaning 5
(of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a gradual slope
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: steep
6
noun
Meaning 6
(Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at Mass
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: antiphon, antiphony
History
Etymology
From Medieval Latin graduālis, from Latin gradus (“step”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghradh-, *ghredh- (“to walk, go”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌹𐌸𐍃 (griþs, “step, grade”), Bavarian Gritt (“step, stride”).
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
تَدْرِيجِيّ
(tadrījiyy)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Asturian:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Belarusian:
паступо́вы
(pastupóvy)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Bulgarian:
постепенен
(postepenen)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Catalan:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Chinese Mandarin:
逐漸的 /逐渐的
(zhújiàn de)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Chinese Mandarin:
平緩的 /平缓的
(pínghuǎn de)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Czech:
postupný
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Czech:
stupňovitý
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Danish:
gradvis
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Danish:
trinvis
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Dutch:
geleidelijk
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Dutch:
gestaag
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Esperanto:
malabrupta
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Finnish:
asteittainen
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Finnish:
vähittäinen
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
French:
graduel
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Galician:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
German:
allmählich
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
German:
graduell
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
German:
schrittweise zunehmend
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Greek:
σταδιακός
(stadiakós)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Greek:
βαθμιαίος
(vathmiaíos)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Hungarian:
fokozatos
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Irish:
dréimreach
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Italian:
graduale
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Lithuanian:
laipsniškas
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Macedonian:
постепен
(postepen)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Occitan:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Polish:
stopniowy
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Portuguese:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Russian:
постепе́нный
(postepénnyj)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Russian:
пла́вный
(plávnyj)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Serbo-Croatian:
по̀ступан
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Serbo-Croatian:
pòstupan
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Spanish:
gradual
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Spanish:
paulatino
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Swedish:
gradvis
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Ukrainian:
поступо́вий
(postupóvyj)
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Welsh:
graddol
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Welsh:
cynyddol
— proceeding by steps or small degrees
Bulgarian:
тропар
(tropar)
— antiphone or responsory
