incrementalism

American  

[in-kruh-men-tl-iz-uhm, ing-] / ˌɪn krəˈmɛn tlˌɪz əm, ˌɪŋ- /

noun

1. a policy of making changes, especially social changes, by degrees; gradualism.

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Other Word Forms

• incrementalist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of incrementalism

First recorded in 1965–70; incremental ( def. ) + -ism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incrementalism

Most of them aren’t consistently originalist and often use other methods of interpretation—pragmatism, institutionalism, incrementalism, textualism—instead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

“The kind of incrementalism that Eric Murphy seems to be doing is something from a bygone era, where people were more pragmatic in the movement and not punished for it,” she said.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

"We're arguing for radical incrementalism: achieving massive change through small, short-term steps. And we're offering a much-needed contrast to many other climate scenarios, which may be more aligned with the status quo, which isn't working."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2024

"The incrementalism was perhaps a surprise to markets given the speculation of an actual tweak."

From Reuters ● Oct. 31, 2023

“The secret to reforming,” he once told me, “is understanding incrementalism and not trying to be so big and so bold. You’ve got to align interests.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2022