incremental

adjective

in·​cre·​men·​tal ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl 

ˌin-

: of, relating to, being, or occurring in especially small increments

incremental additions

incremental change

incrementally

ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl-ē 

ˌin-

adverb

Synonyms of incremental

• gradual

Examples of incremental in a Sentence

the incremental evolution of the collection from a specialized gallery into a comprehensive art museum

the incremental total for my collection of baseball cards

Recent Examples on the Web

This perspective extends into the company’s belief that operational improvement is best achieved through incremental refinement rather than abrupt transformation. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

The goal is to get more of each incremental sale to fall through to the bottom line, resulting in operating income growing faster than revenue. —Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026

Improvements have been slow and incremental. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026

Earlier versions of direct carbon fuel cells struggled with limited power density and short operational lifespans, issues that the latest design aims to overcome through incremental engineering improvements. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing incremental

• incremental repetition

Rhymes for incremental

• accidental
• compartmental
• continental
• detrimental
• elemental
• fundamental
• governmental
• incidental
• instrumental
• interdental
• monumental
• nonjudgmental