gradually

American  

[graj-oo-uh-lee] / ˈgrædʒ u ə li /

adverb

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• ungradually
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of gradually

gradual ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

In January 2025 she said she was in remission from cancer, and since then she has been gradually returning to public royal duties.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Anthropic has gradually expanded access to Mythos after limiting its release initially to a select group of companies and organizations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

If the deal is approved by members, the union said UC would gradually raise the lowest-paid workers to an hourly wage of $30.10 by 2029.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Scientists say the Southern Ocean storm track has gradually shifted closer to Antarctica over time, and this larger shift is now influencing the island's weather.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

Normally, when something makes a wave, the wave travels outward, gradually spreading out and losing strength, like the waves moving away from a pebble dropped into a pond.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• constantly
• continuously
• deliberately
• gently
• increasingly
• moderately
• progressively
• regularly
• steadily