by increments of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "by increments of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a gradual change that is taking place in a process, such as an increase or decrease in quantity or size. For example, "The process will be done by increments of five minutes."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The price rose slowly for a while, by increments of as little as $2 million.

The New York Times

To attempt to alter the world by increments of local improvisation and conservation is to fight against a mighty tide.

The New York Times - Books

For each step, we used 11 values of λ to go from 0 to 1 by increments of 0.1.

Nature

In contrast, surgical skin expansion, driven by increments of stretch, produces increasing quantities of tissue without trauma or inflammation.

Medical Hypotheses

For example, as the share of Hispanics in census tracts increases by increments of 10percentthethe number of rebates decreases by 0.54 per thousand households.

University of California, Berkeley

And by more, I don't mean by increments of 10 or 15 percent, but by multiples of two or three or four.

The New York Times

The weight fraction of PA6 was adjusted from 0 to 40% by increments of 10%, and the weight fraction of POE was systematically half that of PA6.

Polymer

France and Germany agreed to give new members 25percentt of the farm aid that the other 15 receive, beginning in 2004 and increasing by increments of five percentage points every year.

The New York Times

The footage documents soldiers in various states of euphoria, agitation, or physical agony, while Army doctors interview them, or measure their level of incapacitation by asking them to count backward by increments of seven.

The New Yorker

If you still get the error message, go back into the System.ini file and increase the MinSPs number by increments of 4 (like 8 or 12) until the error message goes away.

The New York Times - Tech

But the captain figured that it would be better to adjust the clocks gradually, by increments of an hour, than to move them ahead eight hours when we finally reached the Bering Strait.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "by increments of", ensure the size of the increment is clearly stated to avoid ambiguity. For example, "increase the dose by increments of 5 mg" is clearer than "increase the dose by increments".

Common error

A common mistake is using "by increments of" without specifying the size of the increment. Always quantify the increment to provide clarity and avoid misinterpretation. Don't say: "Adjust the volume by increments"; instead, say: "Adjust the volume by increments of 2 decibels."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "by increments of" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to describe how an action is performed. It specifies that the action occurs in a series of small, measured steps, as demonstrated in the examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

30%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "by increments of" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase to describe gradual change. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for various writing contexts, particularly in scientific, academic, and news-related content. The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, emphasizing a controlled, step-by-step progression. To ensure clarity, always specify the size of the increment. Common alternatives include phrases like "in stages of" or "gradually increasing by". Though versatile, it maintains a formal tone, making it less common in casual conversation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in stages of

Replaces "increments" with "stages", focusing on steps rather than the size of change.

in steps of

Similar to "in stages of", emphasizes the discrete nature of the progression.

gradually increasing by

Specifies an upward trend, adding a directional component not inherently present in the original phrase.

progressing in units of

More formal and precise, suitable for technical or scientific contexts.

advancing in amounts of

Highlights the quantity of change at each step.

rising by levels of

Focuses on upward movement, best used when describing an increase in something.

developing through portions of

Emphasizes that the change is occurring across a segment of something.

evolving through segments of

Highlights the changes that happen through separated parts.

changing little by little

Less formal and describes the changes as being very small.

proceeding by portions of

Formal and underlines that the progression continues separated by the specified measure.

FAQs

How do I use "by increments of" in a sentence?

Use "by increments of" to describe a process where something increases or decreases gradually. For example, "The temperature was raised "by increments of 5 degrees"".

What is a good alternative to "by increments of"?

Alternatives include phrases like "in stages of", "in steps of", or "gradually increasing by", depending on the specific context.

Is "by increments of" formal or informal?

"By increments of" is generally considered a neutral to formal phrase, suitable for scientific, technical, or professional writing. It's less common in informal conversation.

What does "by increments of" mean?

It means that something is changing gradually through a series of small, regular steps. It indicates a measured and controlled progression, either upward or downward.