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accumulate
verb
ac·cu·mu·late
ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt
accumulated; accumulating
: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass
accumulate a fortune
: to increase gradually in quantity or number
snow accumulating to a depth of several feet
Synonyms
Examples of accumulate in a Sentence
Evidence of his guilt is accumulating.
the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating
Recent Examples on the Web
On average, playoff teams accumulated just 52.47 penalty yards per game.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
The fund had accumulated around $54,828 by December 12 at around 4 p.m. ET.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Between one and two inches of snow may accumulate near Lafayette, Delphi and Kokomo.
—Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Dec. 2024
For instance, top-tier Diamond members, who typically earn 20 points per dollar on stays, will now accumulate an impressive 30 points per dollar.
—Stella Shon, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin accumulātus, past participle of accumulāre "to heap up, add to, increase," from ad- ad- + cumulāre "to gather into a heap" — more at cumulate
Note: In part a Latinization of Middle French accumuler.
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of accumulate was
in the 15th century
Articles Related to accumulate
Dictionary Entries Near accumulate
Cite this Entry
“Accumulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accumulate. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
accumulate
verb
ac·cu·mu·late
ə-ˈkyü-myə-ˌlāt
accumulated; accumulating
1
: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass
accumulate a fortune
2
: to increase in quantity, number, or amount
rubbish accumulates quickly
Legal Definition
accumulate
verb
ac·cu·mu·late
accumulated; accumulating
: to gather especially little by little
specifically
: to add (income from a fund) back into the principal
: to increase gradually in amount or number
More from Merriam-Webster on accumulate
Nglish: Translation of accumulate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of accumulate for Arabic Speakers
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