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

The inflammatory response lasted for several weeks before gradually declining.

From Science Daily

Astronomers previously thought the Universe's expansion, which began with the Big Bang about 13.8 billion years ago, should gradually slow due to gravity.

From BBC

While meteorologists say conditions should gradually improve within days, the impact of the cleanup, delays and stranded travelers may linger.

From Salon

The UN peacekeeping force, Minusca, is helping the government to gradually restore basic administration and services, even to distant provincial towns.

From BBC

The ability to change Google Account email addresses is gradually rolling out to all users, and is not immediately available to everyone, Google noted on its support page.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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