accrual

1 of 2

noun

ac·​cru·​al ə-ˈkrü-əl 

1

: the action or process of accruing something

money gained by the accrual of interest

2

: something that accrues or has accrued

an employee's vacation accruals

accrual

2 of 2

adjective

: relating to or being a method of accounting that recognizes income when earned and expenses when incurred regardless of when cash is received or disbursed (see disburse sense 1a) compare cash entry 2

Synonyms

Noun

• accretion
• addendum
• addition
• augmentation
• boost
• expansion
• gain
• increase
• increment
• more
• plus
• proliferation
• raise
• rise
• step-up
• supplement
• uptick

Examples of accrual in a Sentence

Noun

had an accrual of $100 through interest on my savings account last year

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The decrease is primarily due to an impairment loss and legal settlement accrual. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 29 Nov. 2024

The irregularities were uncovered earlier this month during a review of delivery expense accruals. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024

Adjective

The method of accounting is either going to be cash or accrual. —Karla Dennis, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

The company also added that there is no sign that the questionable accounting accrual entries made any impact on its cash management activities or vendor payments. —David Chiu, People.com, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

accrue + -al entry 2

Adjective

derivative of accrual entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

accrual

noun

ac·​cru·​al ə-ˈkrü-əl 

1

: the action or process of accruing

claim must be brought within two years of the date of accrual

2

a

: something that accrues

especially : an amount of money that periodically accumulates for a specific purpose (as payment of taxes or interest)

b

: something that has accrued during a specified period