accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce accumulate (audio)
accumulated; accumulating

transitive verb

: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass
accumulate a fortune

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in quantity or number
snow accumulating to a depth of several feet

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 While stomachs are empty, Muslims practice self-control while taking advantage of this month to accumulate blessings and spiritual discipline. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Hayes and Lopes did not say in their court filings how many fines accumulated. Don Thompson, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 And so over time, one of the problems was that this then meant that your computer would accumulate random files. Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Mar. 2024 Evidence of our civilization’s effects on Earth will continue accumulating in the rocks. Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Born to a Dutch mother, Troost-Ekong played for The Netherlands at the youth level before eventually choosing to represent his father’s homeland, accumulating over 70 caps to date. Callum Sutherland, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 His stats and accolades he’s accumulated certainly back up that statement, and the production has boosted him to become Perfect Games’ No. 9 Class of 2026 recruit in the national rankings. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Expect to see more outrageously powerful EVs in high-profile events as automakers establish their performance credentials and accumulate evidence to refute the technology’s detractors. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Why was Kristina Karamo ousted? Karamo was removed from her role as chair after hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt accumulated since she was elected last year. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accumulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near accumulate

Cite this Entry

“Accumulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accumulate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

accumulate

verb
ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-myə-ˌlāt How to pronounce accumulate (audio)
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

transitive verb

: to gather especially little by little
specifically : to add (income from a fund) back into the principal

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in amount or number

More from Merriam-Webster on accumulate

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