incremental
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incremental
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.
Vocabulary lists containing incremental
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
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ACT Vocabulary List
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This Week in Words: October 28 - November 3, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a speech aimed at steadying his tottering premiership on Monday, Sir Keir said "incremental change won't cut it" as he promised to "face up to the big challenges" the country faced.
From BBC • May 12, 2026
“With these approvals coming through, we expect the broader adoption of the software in the existing fleet and incremental demand for our vehicles.”
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Aron, AMC’s CEO, added, “We believe that this innovation can open an entirely new chapter in live entertainment while driving incremental attendance and revenue across our circuit.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Companies will respond by either rushing half-baked products to market, steering clear of high-risk diseases, or abandoning incremental advances that might later trigger should-have-done-it-sooner tort suits.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
But that desire was fundamentally at odds with the incremental pace and the serendipity of basic science.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
