accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt 

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

Synonyms

• accelerate
• appreciate
• balloon
• boom
• build up
• burgeon
• bourgeon
• climb
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• gain
• increase
• mount
• multiply
• mushroom
• proliferate
• rise
• roll up
• snowball
• spread
• swell
• wax

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

The accumulating evidence paints Neanderthal communities as small, insular, and often inbred. —Bridget Alex, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024

Sand carried in by tides and storms accumulates in what’s called a flood-tide shoal at the northwest corner of the lagoon near the inlet. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2024

Against the backdrop of rejection and desperation, Washington State and Oregon State have accumulated enough victories to stay afloat in the realignment game. —Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024

The Oscar nominee got her start in 1979 but has accumulated many roles and accolades along the way. —Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 2 June 2024

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

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

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