graduazione

Graduazione is an Italian noun used primarily in technical and scientific contexts to denote the marks or divisions that indicate units on a measuring instrument, or the process of marking such a scale. The term derives from grado, meaning degree. In many contexts, the related word gradazione is more common for concepts of gradual change or tonal/color gradation, while graduazione specifically emphasizes the markings on a scale.

Instruments and measurement, where the term is most widely used, feature graduazioni that correspond to unit intervals. Examples include a ruler with millimetric graduazioni, a thermometer with graduazioni in degrees, or a dial gauge with graduazioni that indicate precise readings. The accuracy and resolution of these graduazioni depend on the instrument’s design and calibration.

Calibration and quality control are often described in terms of graduazione: during calibration, the graduazioni are checked and adjusted to match reference standards, ensuring reliable measurements. In technical manuals, the phrase “la graduazione della scala” refers to the labeled markings that a user reads to determine a measurement.

In everyday language, italiani may prefer gradazione when referring to gradual change, color, or tonal steps; graduazione tends to be reserved for the specific notion of scale markings on instruments or devices. The term is relatively specialized, and in non-technical writing it is common to use more general expressions such as “scale markings” or simply “graduations.”