gradual meaning
EN
[ˈɡɹædʒuəl] 
US WGradual
- The Gradual (Latin: graduale or responsorium graduale) is a chant or hymn in the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations.
- Gradual can also refer to a book collecting all the musical items of the Mass. The official such book for the Roman Rite is the Roman Gradual (in Latin, Graduale Romanum). Other such books include the Dominican Gradual.
- NounPLgradualsSUF-ual
- (Roman Catholic Church) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
- (Roman Catholic Church) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.
- (Roman Catholic Church) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.
- AdjectiveCOMmore gradualSUPmost gradual
- Proceeding by steps or small degrees; advancing step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow.
- a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline
- Proceeding by steps or small degrees; advancing step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow.
- More Examples
- Used in the Middle of Sentence
- In this way the model captures the gradual continentalization of weather (aridification) as air moves inland.
- Tragic, too, is the gradual deskilling of teachers, loss of excitement about the profession, and loss of gifted teachers to other pursuits.
- Used in the Middle of Sentence
Definition of gradual in English Dictionary
- Part-of-Speech Hierarchy
- Adjectives
- Nouns
- Countable nouns
- Countable nouns
- Adjectives
- en gradually
- en graduall
- en graduals
- en graduality
- en gradualism
Source: Wiktionary
Grammatically, this word "gradual" is an adjective. It's also a noun, more specifically, a countable noun.