# gradient
## English
### Etymology

From Latin gradiēns, present participle of gradior (“to step, to walk”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɡɹeɪdiənt/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -eɪdiənt

### Noun

gradient (plural gradients)
* A slope or incline.
* A rate of inclination or declination of a slope.
** 1950 November, H. P. White, “The Furka-Oberalp Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 767:Just beyond that station the first step is encountered and the rack resorted to, taking the line on a gradient of 1 in 9 over a steeply inclined bridge and through a spiral tunnel.
* (calculus, of a function) The ratio of the rates of change of a dependent variable and an independent variable, the slope of a curve's tangent.
* (sciences) The rate at which a physical quantity increases or decreases relative to change in a given variable, especially distance.
* (calculus) A differential operator that maps each point of a scalar field to a vector pointed in the direction of the greatest rate of change of the scalar. Notation for a scalar field φ: ∇φ
* A gradual change in color; a color gradient; gradation.

#### Synonyms

* (slope): hill, incline, ramp, slope, grade
* (calculus, ratio of rates of change): slope (of a line), angular coefficient

#### Coordinate terms

* (calculus, differential operator): curl, divergence, viscid, viscous

#### Derived terms

* chemogradient
* countergradient
* downgradient
* electrogradient
* enterogradient
* extragradient
* gradient descent
* gradientless
* gradiently
* gradient post
* gradient wind
* intergradient
* microgradient
* multigradient
* nanogradient
* nongradient
* pressure gradient
* pressure gradient force
* ruling gradient
* subgradient
* supergradient
* temperature gradient
* thermogradient
* upgradient

#### Translations
### Adjective

gradient (not comparable)
* Moving by steps; walking.
** 1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical Magick:movable and Gradient Automata
* Rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination.
    the gradient line of a railroad
* Adapted for walking, as the feet of certain birds.

### Anagrams

* atreding, derating, e-trading, gantried, red giant, redating, treading

## French
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

gradient m (plural gradients)
* gradient

### Further reading

* “gradient”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From English gradient, from Latin gradiens.

### Noun

gradient m (definite singular gradienten, indefinite plural gradienter, definite plural gradientene)
* a gradient

### References

* “gradient” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
* “gradient” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From English gradient, from Latin gradiens.

### Noun

gradient m (definite singular gradienten, indefinite plural gradientar, definite plural gradientane)
* a gradient

### References

* “gradient” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Polish
### Etymology

Borrowed from English gradient, from Latin gradiēns.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɡra.djɛnt/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -adjɛnt
* Syllabification: gra‧dient

### Noun

gradient m inan
* (mathematical analysis) gradient (differential operator that maps each point of a scalar field to a vector pointed in the direction of the greatest rate of change of the scalar)
* gradient (change in color)

#### Derived terms

* gradientowy
* gradient geotermiczny

### Further reading

* gradient in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French gradient.

### Noun

gradient m (plural gradienți)
* gradient

#### Declension
## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈɡradi̯ent]

### Noun

gradient m inan (relational adjective gradientový or gradientný)
* gradient

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “gradient”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Swedish
### Noun

gradient c
* (mathematical analysis) gradient; a vector operator

#### Declension
### Anagrams

* indraget, tragedin