gradient.

1. The rate at which a quantity changes across distance or another variable.

2. The steepness of an inclined surface.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• temperature gradient
• concentration gradient

On the page

The temperature gradient steepened near the outer wall.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Singular gradient; plural gradients. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation. Commonness: moderately common.