gradation

/greɪˈdeɪʃən/

Other forms: gradations

Anything with a bunch of levels or stages can be considered a gradation. In high school, the process of moving from freshman to senior year could be called a gradation, or your position in the series of steps that lead toward graduation.

Any organization with a hierarchy, set up so that some members are considered better, higher, or more respected than others, has a gradation of positions within it. The military is a great example, with a gradation, or series of steps, from private to general. The root of gradation is the Latin gradationem, which means "ascent by steps."

Definitions of gradation

1. noun

   relative position in a graded series
   “subtle gradations in color”

   synonyms: step

   types:

   cut

   a step on some scale

   type of:

   rank

   relative status
2. noun

   the act of arranging in grades
   synonyms: graduation

   types:

   blending, shading

   a gradation involving small or imperceptible differences between grades

   type of:

   quantification

   the act of discovering or expressing the quantity of something
3. noun

   a degree of ablaut
   synonyms: grade

   type of:

   ablaut

   a vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)