Standard Lemma guide
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
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noun
The belief that evolution proceeds at a steady pace, without the sudden development of new species or biological features from one generation to the next.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: biology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The belief that some phenomenon occurs gradually over a long period of time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: transferred sense
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The belief that change ought to be brought about in small, discrete increments rather than in abrupt strokes such as revolutions or uprisings.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology tree English gradual Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English gradualism From gradual + -ism.
Across languages
1 source translations are retained for this English entry.
