incremental

American  

[in-kruh-men-tl, ing-] / ˌɪn krəˈmɛn tl, ˌɪŋ- /

adjective

1. increasing or adding on, especially in a regular series.

   small, incremental tax hikes.

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incremental British  

/ ˌɪnkrɪˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, using, or rising by increments

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Other Word Forms

• incrementally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of incremental

First recorded in 1675–85; increment + -al ¹

Explanation

If you are making incremental progress in math, you are moving slowly but steadily forward. Incremental describes regular, measurable movements that are usually small. Sometimes a basketball team might make a huge improvement, like a team that is 32-50 one year and then 50-32 the next. More often, progress is small and tiny — incremental. Anytime something is changing in any way, and the change is slow and steady, you can talk about incremental changes. A lot of life is like that. You might prefer to be making great or even miraculous progress, but incremental gains are better than none at all.

Example Sentences

Incremental easing doesn’t inspire confidence when sentiment is fragile.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

Incremental drops in heart function are treatable with medication but can be hard to spot.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

Incremental tweaks to animal agriculture through PLF are misleading to consumers and do not get us to the world we need.

From Salon • May 15, 2024

Incremental legislative actions at the state or federal level have already influenced the data and have been factored into the growth curve estimation.

From Scientific American • Aug. 28, 2023

Incremental and daily updates on the virus’ status have stirred fears and gripped communities throughout the country.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2020