piecemeal

1 of 2

adverb

piece·​meal ˈpēs-ˌmēl How to pronounce piecemeal (audio)
-ˈmēl
Synonyms of piecemeal
1
: one piece at a time : gradually
2
: in pieces or fragments : apart

piecemeal

2 of 2

adjective

: done, made, or accomplished piece by piece or in a fragmentary way
piecemeal reforms in the system

Synonyms of piecemeal

Examples of piecemeal in a Sentence

Adverb remodeled their house piecemeal because of budgetary constraints one well-aimed blow ripped the piñata piecemeal Adjective They've done piecemeal repairs in the past, but the bridge now needs major reconstruction. Some people want the changes to be made all at once, but I think we should take a more piecemeal approach.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adverb
Called Agent Pay for Machines, the new network is meant to make smaller money transfers easier when, for example, an AI agent wants to access data piecemeal from a website. Ben Weiss, Fortune, 10 June 2026 Isolated, piecemeal learning focused on discrete tools won’t accomplish that. Andrew Sales, Forbes.com, 8 June 2026
Adjective
In many industries, the piecemeal approach manifests as margin erosion, compliance exposure and operational drag that compounds over time. Dave Wessinger, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The strategies aim to do away with piecemeal approaches to overcoming the unique challenges that islands and coastal communities face, offering a comprehensive approach, said Raffaele Fitto, European Commission executive vice president for cohesion and reforms. ABC News, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for piecemeal

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piecemeal was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Piecemeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piecemeal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

piecemeal

1 of 2 adverb
piece·​meal ˈpē-ˌsmēl How to pronounce piecemeal (audio)
1
: one piece at a time : gradually
2
: in pieces : apart

piecemeal

2 of 2 adjective
: done, made, or accomplished piece by piece or in an incomplete way
piecemeal reforms

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