gradually

[graj-oo-uh-lee]

adverb

1. by small degrees or little by little.

   The hurricane moved northwestward to northward for two days, gradually weakened to a depression, and then turned eastward.

   Over the following decades, the curriculum was gradually expanded, with additional offerings in history, government, languages, geology, and geography.

Other Word Forms

• ungradually adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of gradually¹

gradual ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"Maybe this will change gradually. But this much artistic freedom is okay to make the movie interesting," he said.

From BBC

Two years later, she was admitted to hospital suffering from "nervous exhaustion" but gradually returned to public life - where she took a close interest in organisations that helped the young and the elderly.

From BBC

It added that Tokyo has also agreed to gradually increase its purchases of US-grown rice by 75% - a concession it had previously resisted to protect its agricultural industry.

From BBC

He continued to refine the shape through the 1980s, gradually easing the “wedge shape” jacket into a more relaxed silhouette with sloped shoulders and lower lapels.

From Los Angeles Times

The district’s gradually improving state test scores suggest there has been progress in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• constantly 
• continuously 
• deliberately 
• gently 
• increasingly 
• moderately 
• progressively 
• regularly 
• steadily