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

Any benefit for other carriers would be incremental, he said.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Standardized test scores have trended upward since the nadir of the COVID-19 pandemic, recovering faster than the state average, but the pace remains too incremental for critics.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

“It would also mitigate execution risk, eliminate incremental standalone costs and allow an acquirer to optimize the business under its own management and operating structure.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

In the meantime, incremental progress will be important, with missions focused on improving measurement capabilities step by step.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

It was the kind of work necessary for an incremental war effort.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse