postupne

Postupne is a Slavic lexical form most commonly encountered as an adverb meaning "gradually", "step by step" or "progressively". It appears in Slovak as postupne and has close cognates and orthographic variants in related languages (Czech postupně, Croatian/Serbian/Bosnian postupno). The form postupne also occurs as an inflected adjective or adverbial variant in several languages, depending on gender, number and case.

Etymology and meaning

The word derives from the Slavic root related to "step" (stup/stup‑) combined with the prefix po‑, conveying motion or succession. Semantically it denotes change occurring in stages or at a measured pace rather than suddenly.

Usage

Postupne is used in everyday speech, technical descriptions, historical narratives and procedural writing to describe processes that unfold over time: for example, demographic shifts, incremental policy implementation or gradual improvement in conditions. It often pairs with verbs of change (improve, increase, decrease) and temporal markers.

Translations and synonyms

In English it is typically translated as "gradually", "progressively", or "step by step". Near-synonyms in Slavic languages include terms meaning "slowly" or "in stages", though nuances differ: postupne implies ordered progression rather than merely slow speed.

Grammatical notes

Forms vary by language and grammatical context; users should consult language-specific references for inflection tables and orthographic conventions.