piecemeal

1 of 2

adverb

piece·​meal ˈpēs-ˌmēl How to pronounce piecemeal (audio)
-ˈmēl
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adverb
Huckleberry Hound and his costars on the Hanna-Barbera series have never really disappeared — their adventures have been airing piecemeal off and on for decades — but their shows haven’t been available in their original form in over 60 years. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2025 There are plenty of reasons why gallery rails and rods can be a smarter choice than hanging a gallery wall of art in piecemeal. Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Both studios had fantastic teams, huge worldwide distribution, so no need to sell the movie piecemeal, country by country. Jay Glennie, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 Discovery could be run for cash, serve as a rollup vehicle, sell off assets piecemeal, reinvest in its brands or sell the whole thing off to private equity, notes Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif-Ehrlich, who was among the Wall Street insiders calling for such a strategic move last year. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piecemeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piecemeal. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on piecemeal

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