geleidelijke

Geleidelijke is a Dutch adjective and adverb meaning gradual or progressive, used to describe processes, changes, or developments that unfold slowly and in small steps rather than abruptly. As an adjective, it modifies nouns (for example, een geleidelijke verandering or een geleidelijke overgang). As an adverb, it describes the manner of an action or change (for example, De temperatuur stijgt geleidelijk).

In practical use, geleidelijke emphasizes tempo and pacing. It often appears in contexts such as science, policy, economics, and everyday life to convey that progress occurs in increments rather than suddenly. Common collocations include geleidelijke toename (gradual increase), geleidelijke afname (gradual decrease), and geleidelijke invoering (gradual introduction). The phrase de verandering verloopt geleidelijk is a typical sentence illustrating its adverbial use.

Grammatical notes help with correct form. The attributive form before a noun is geleidelijke (for example, een geleidelijke verandering). In predicative or adverbial position, the base form geleidelijk is used. The word can be contrasted with synonyms like stapsgewijs (stepwise) or langzaam (slowly), though each carries slightly different nuance: geleidelijk emphasizes smooth progression over time; stapsgewijs stresses discrete steps.

Etymology links the term to the broader concept of gradual change found in Dutch and other Germanic languages, with cognates in English such as gradual. In Dutch, geleidelijk is the more common term for describing gradual processes, while geleidelijke functions as the attributive form before a noun.

See also: stapsgewijs, in fases, gradueel (less common), gradueelverschijnende contexts.