gradual
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grad·u·al
(grăj′o͞o-əl)adj.
Occurring or developing slowly or by small increments: gradual erosion; a gradual slope.
n. Roman Catholic Church
1. The liturgical book containing the chants for the Mass.
2. A biblical text sung between the Epistle and the Gospel of the Mass.
[Middle English, having steps, from Medieval Latin graduālis, from Latin gradus, step; see grade. N., Middle English, from Medieval Latin graduāle, the part of the service sung by the choir from the altar steps, gradual, from neuter sing. of graduālis.]
grad′u·al·ly adv.
grad′u·al·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
gradual
(ˈɡrædjʊəl)adj
1. occurring, developing, moving, etc, in small stages: a gradual improvement in health.
2. not steep or abrupt: a gradual slope.
n
(Roman Catholic Church) (often capital) Christianity
a. an antiphon or group of several antiphons, usually from the Psalms, sung or recited immediately after the epistle at Mass
b. a book of plainsong containing the words and music of the parts of the Mass that are sung by the cantors and choir
[C16: from Medieval Latin graduālis relating to steps, from Latin gradus a step]
ˈgradually adv
ˈgradualness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
grad•u•al
(ˈgrædʒ u əl)adj.
1. taking place, changing, moving, etc., by small degrees or little by little: gradual improvement.
2. rising or descending at an even, moderate inclination: a gradual slope.
n. 3.
a. an antiphon sung between the Epistle and the Gospel in the Eucharistic service.
b. a book containing the words and music of the parts of the liturgy that are sung by the choir.
[1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin graduālis pertaining to steps, graduāle the part of the service sung as the choir stood on the altar steps = Latin gradu(s) step, grade + -ālis -al1]
grad′u•al•ly, adv.
grad′u•al•ness, n.
syn: See slow.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Noun | 1. | gradual - (Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at Mass Church of Rome, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Church, Western Church, Roman Catholic - the Christian Church based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchy |
Adj. | 1. | gradual - proceeding in small stages; "a gradual increase in prices" slow - not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time; "a slow walker"; "the slow lane of traffic"; "her steps were slow"; "he was slow in reacting to the news"; "slow but steady growth" sudden - happening without warning or in a short space of time; "a sudden storm"; "a sudden decision"; "a sudden cure" |
2. | gradual - (of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt; "a gradual slope" inclined - at an angle to the horizontal or vertical position; "an inclined plane" steep - having a sharp inclination; "the steep attic stairs"; "steep cliffs" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
gradual
adjective steady, even, slow, regular, gentle, moderate, progressive, piecemeal, unhurried Losing weight is a gradual process.
broken, sudden, overnight, abrupt, instantaneous
broken, sudden, overnight, abrupt, instantaneous
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
gradual
adjective1. Proceeding very slowly by degrees:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَدريجيتَدْرِيجيّ
postupnýstupňovitý
gradvis
asteittainenvähittäinen
postupan
fokozatos
sem òróast stig af stigi
徐々の
점진적인
laipsniškailaipsniškas
postopen
gradvis
ค่อยเป็นค่อยไป
derece derecekademeli
dần dần
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
gradual
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
gradual
(ˈgradjuəl) adjective happening gently and slowly. a gradual rise in temperature.
ˈgradually adverbHis health is gradually improving.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
gradual
→ تَدْرِيجيّ postupný gradvis allmählich σταδιακός gradual asteittainen graduel postupan graduale 徐々の 점진적인 geleidelijk gradvis stopniowy gradual постепенный gradvis ค่อยเป็นค่อยไป derece derece dần dần 逐渐的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
gradual
adj gradualEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.