1. a political or social strategy that seeks to achieve goals through a series of small, gradual changes rather than sudden, radical reform
Usage: often used in political and policy contexts; can be viewed positively (as pragmatic) or negatively (as insufficient)

Examples

• The environmental group criticized the government's incrementalism, arguing that climate change requires immediate, sweeping action.
• Some economists favor incrementalism in raising the minimum wage to avoid sudden economic shocks.
• The civil rights movement combined both incrementalism and bold direct action to achieve legislative victories.
• Critics say incrementalism in healthcare reform leaves too many people without coverage for too long.
• The company adopted incrementalism in its digital transformation, updating systems department by department.
• Incrementalism can be an effective strategy when building consensus among diverse stakeholders.