名詞 gradual:

1. (Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at Mass

形容詞 gradual:

1. proceeding in small stages
2. (of a topographical gradient) not steep or abrupt

1. Here there is a gradual descent to the sea.
   這里有個(gè)通向海的緩坡。
2. I advocate a policy of gradual reform.
   我擁護(hù)逐步改革的政策。
3. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death.
   人員耗損，減縮人員指逐漸的、正常的成員或人員的減少，如退休、辭職或死亡
4. Gradual change is preferable to sudden, large- scale change.
   逐步的變化比突然的、大規(guī)模的變化更好。
5. Gradual deterioration of specific tissues, cells, or organs with corresponding impairment or loss of function, caused by injury, disease, or aging.
   變性特定的組織、細(xì)胞或器官隨著受傷、疾病或年老而導(dǎo)致的相應(yīng)的功能的削弱或喪失，而形成的逐漸的變質(zhì)
6. There has been a gradual increase in the number of people owning cars.
   擁有汽車(chē)的人數(shù)一直在逐漸上升。

grad.u.al

adj.（形容詞）
Advancing or progressing by regular or continuous degrees:
逐級(jí)的，逐步的：規(guī)則地或連續(xù)地發(fā)展或前進(jìn)的：
例句：
gradual erosion; a gradual slope.
逐漸地腐蝕；緩坡

n.Roman Catholic Church （名詞）【羅馬天主教】
A book containing the choral portions of the Mass.
彌撒升階圣歌集：包括彌撒音樂(lè)部分的祈書(shū)
A biblical text sung between the Epistle and the Gospel of the Mass.
吟唱圣經(jīng)：引自《使徒書(shū)信》和《福音書(shū)》之間的用于吟唱的一段圣經(jīng)短文

來(lái)源：
Middle English [having steps]
中古英語(yǔ) [有步驟的]
from Medieval Latin gradu3lis
源自 中世紀(jì)拉丁語(yǔ) gradu3lis
from Latin gradus [step] * see grade
源自 拉丁語(yǔ) gradus [步驟] *參見(jiàn) grade
N., Middle English
名詞， 中古英語(yǔ)
from Medieval Latin gradu3le [the part of the service sung by the choir from the altar steps, gradual] [from neuter sing. of] gradu3lis [having steps]
源自 中世紀(jì)拉丁語(yǔ) gradu3le [唱詩(shī)班在圣壇的臺(tái)階上唱的禮拜的一部分，逐階的] [] 源自gradu3lis的中性單數(shù) [有步驟的]

【引伸】
grad.ually
adv.（副詞）
grad.ualness
n.（名詞）