/ ˈgrædʒuəl; NAmE / adjective
1.
happening slowly over a long period; not sudden :
a gradual change in the climate
Recovery from the disease is very gradual.
OPP sudden
2.
( of a slope ) not steep
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from medieval Latin gradualis , from Latin gradus step. The original sense of the adjective was arranged in degrees ; the noun refers to the altar steps in a church.