Technical term for the degree of inclination or slope, used in fields such as geography, engineering, and physics. Less common in everyday conversation than 傾斜 (けいしゃ).
The gradient of this road is too steep, so it is closed in winter.
The map shows contour lines and slope gradients in different colors.
gradient wind
Compound of 傾 (けい, 'incline') and 度 (ど, 'degree'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with measuring inclination.