gradation

Borrowed from French gradation.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/, /ˌɡɹeɪˈdeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

gradation (countable and uncountable, plural gradations)

1. A sequence of gradual, successive stages; a systematic progression.
2. A passing by small degrees from one tone or shade, as of color, to another. See Synonyms at nuance.
3. The act of gradating or arranging in grades.
4. Any degree or relative position in an order or series.
   • I. Taylor

     the several gradations of the intelligent universe

5. (countable) A calibration marking.
6. (music) A gradual change within one parameter, or an overlapping of two blocks of sound.
7. (music) A diatonic succession of chords.
8. (phonetics) Apophony.

gradation (third-person singular simple present gradations, present participle gradationing, simple past and past participle gradationed)

1. (transitive) To form with gradations.

• graduation

• DeLone et. al. (Eds.) (1975). Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. →ISBN.

• adorating, indagator, tanagroid

Borrowed from Latin gradātiō.

• IPA^(key): /ɡʁa.da.sjɔ̃/

• Audio

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gradation f (plural gradations)

1. gradation

Not to be confused with graduation.

• “gradation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).