adjective

incremental

in-kruh-MEN-tuhl

Incremental (adjective) means happening in a series of small steps rather than all at once. Example: “Progress has been incremental but steady.”

adjective

Happening in a series of small steps rather than all at once.

"Progress has been incremental but steady."

"The team prefers incremental releases to one large annual update."

Describing the extra amount added by one further unit or step, as opposed to the total.

"The incremental cost of each additional user is close to zero."

"We measured the incremental revenue from the new channel alone."

How to Use Incremental

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishHappening bit by bit rather than all at once.

When to use it

Neutral; standard in business, engineering and economics.

Memory tip

In economics, incremental and marginal are used almost interchangeably for the effect of one more unit.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

iterative marginal → gradual →

Common pairings

incremental change incremental cost incremental improvement incremental progress

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Progress has been _____ but steady.

Etymology

From increment, which comes from Latin incrementum 'growth, increase', from increscere 'to grow'.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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gradual step-by-step piecemeal phased additional marginal extra

Antonyms

sudden wholesale radical

Related Words

other good else total foreign base piece additional

Rhymes for incremental

mental dental rental parental Oriental elemental accidental ornamental judgmental incidental monumental regimental

See all rhymes for incremental →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between incremental and iterative?

Incremental means building something up in added pieces, each one extending what exists. Iterative means going back over the same thing repeatedly to improve it. A project can be both: adding a new section each month, and reworking earlier ones as you learn.

Does incremental mean slow?

Not necessarily, though it often implies it. The word describes the shape of the change — many small steps — rather than the pace. Rapid incremental change is perfectly possible, and is the basis of most modern software release cycles.

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