increment
increment — noun
1. a single amount or step by which something becomes larger, added to a total as p
a single amount or step by which something becomes larger, added to a total as part of a regular or planned series
Jack added a small increment to his savings fund each week.
The scale on the kitchen scale is marked in increments of one gram.
common pattern: in increments of [amount]
In Ada's program, a counter rises by one increment each time a button is pressed.
The charity receives its funding in quarterly increments of fifty thousand dollars.
Every small increment of practice helped Ife improve her piano playing over the year.
- decrement
technical opposite, used mainly in programming and mathematics
文法句型
increment of [amount]
in increments of [amount]
用法筆記
Commonly followed by 'of' to specify the size of each step (e.g. 'in increments of ten'). Frequently appears in measurement contexts (scale markings, graduated containers) and programming (loop counters, step values).
常見錯誤
2. the gradual way in which something grows or becomes more advanced over time
the gradual way in which something grows or becomes more advanced over time
The steady increment of global temperatures worries many climate scientists.
pattern: the increment of [abstract measurable thing]
Doctors tracked the slow increment of Nadia's white blood cell count after the treatment.
Traffic along this road grew by small increments each month, so the city built a wider bridge.
Constanza observed how bacterial populations changed in tiny increments when she adjusted the temperature.
Human understanding of genetics has advanced not by sudden breakthroughs but by careful increments over many decades.
文法句型
the increment of [something]
用法筆記
Typically describes a gradual or continuous process rather than a single step. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'slow,' 'gradual,' or 'steady.' Distinguish from sense 1 (AMOUNT ADDED): sense 2 emphasises the ongoing process itself, not a discrete amount within a series.