From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgradualgrad‧u‧al /ˈɡrædʒuəl/ ●●○ adjective 1 SLOWhappening slowly over a long period of time OPP sudden There has been a gradual change in climate. the gradual decline in manufacturing industry Education is a gradual process.► see thesaurus at slow2 LITTLE/NOT VERYa gradual slope is not steep
Examples from the Corpus
gradual• To be sure, the generational shift has been gradual.• Because the cell destruction is gradual, a victim's pancreas can function normally for years.• Technological change, however, is less blatant, more insidious, more gradual and more effective.• Over the past year, her friends have noticed gradual changes in her behavior.• You will see the gradual development of a less self-centred view in your child's play.• According to Piaget, a number of factors prompt the gradual development of the will.• Some central features of narrative construction were studied, including the gradual embellishment of stories and their emotional content.• I had noticed a gradual improvement in her written work.• We're seeing gradual improvement in labor conditions.• As with all drama work, it's important to move forward at an appropriate pace, to aim for gradual progression.• The chart showed a gradual rise in his temperature over the previous eight hours.• The path is marked, the rise gradual, the sunlight bright and playful filtering through the leaves.• The Annual Registers record the gradual transformation of the Krankoor family name.Origin gradual (1400-1500) Medieval Latin gradualis, from Latin gradus; → GRADE1 