Incremental
Etymology
From Latin “incrementum,” growth or increase, from “increscere,” to grow, from “in-” and “crescere,” to grow (the root of “crescent” and “crescendo”). The word keeps that image of steady growth by degrees.
adjective · /in-kruh-MEN-tuhl/
Proceeding by small, successive additions rather than in one large leap.
What it names
Change-by-steps — the slow accretion that can either compound into transformation or fall short of what a step-change needed.
Example
The redesign brought incremental gains, but the real problem needed a rethink no small tweak could reach.
Related idea
An incremental change adds by small steps; a systemic one alters the whole structure. Incremental fixes rarely touch a systemic fault.