Etymologically
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incremental

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 21:00. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌɪnkrəˈment(ə)l/, /ˌɪŋkrəˈment(ə)l/[1]
  • US: /ˌɪnkrəˈment̬(ə)l/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English increment + -al.[2][3][4][5] Increment is from Latin incrēmentum (“growth, increase; an addition”),[2][3] from the stem of incrēscō (“to grow in or upon”),[2][3] which is formed from in- and crēscō (“to grow”), and the same Latin verb is the source of increase.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Relating to or of the nature of increase: Merriam-Webster gives 1696 as the first known use,[6] Etymonline 1715,[2] and the OED's first quotation is from the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1716, mostly in the mathematical sense of increment.[3]

Semantic evolution

The adjective began in mathematics, where an increment is the small amount by which a variable grows; the OED notes that it was usually used in this sense.[3] The Shorter Oxford adds the sense "advancing by increments", as in an incremental pay scale.[4] The related nouns incrementalism, belief in change by degrees, and the adverb incrementally date from the mid 20th century.[4] In the United Kingdom from 1988 an incremental radio station was an additional local or community station licensed under existing broadcasting law.[3] In computing, an incremental backup saves only what has changed since an earlier backup.[7]

Timeline

  • 1696 – first known use (Merriam-Webster).[6]
  • 1715 – relating to increase (Etymonline).[2]
  • 1716 – relating to an increment, chiefly in mathematics (OED).[3]
  • mid 20th century – incrementalism, incrementally.[4]
  • 1988 – of an additional local radio station (UK).[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Relating to, consisting of, or resulting from increments: incremental salary increases.[6][8][3]
  2. Happening or advancing in a series of small steps; gradual: The software improved through incremental updates.[4][8]
  3. (UK) Of an additional local or community radio station licensed under existing broadcasting law.[3]

Word family

  • incrementally
  • incrementalism

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins