acceleration

noun

ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌse-lə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
(ˌ)ak-
1
a
: the act or process of moving faster or happening more quickly : the act or process of accelerating
rapid acceleration
the acceleration of economic growth
b
: ability to accelerate
a car with good acceleration
2
physics : the rate of change of velocity with respect to time
broadly : change of velocity

Examples of acceleration in a Sentence

The car delivers quick acceleration. There has been some acceleration in economic growth. There has been an acceleration in economic growth.
Recent Examples on the Web The Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditure price index, fell as expected in January, allaying fears of a fresh acceleration. Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024 The machine covers zero to 60 mph in 3 seconds, not to mention its mind-bending acceleration between 40 mph to 80 mph. Peter Jackson, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024 Each share purchase warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the date of issuance of the New Debenture, subject to certain acceleration provisions. Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 The battery is used to provide regenerative braking, capturing kinetic energy when the vehicle slows to charge the battery and releasing it during acceleration to reduce the transient load on the fuel cell and improve efficiency. Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 That acceleration was a big reason for the pickup in overall consumer prices last month. Ben Casselman, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 What this all means for the Fed When stripping out the food and energy categories, which tend to be more volatile, core PPI jumped 0.5% for the month, bringing the yearly increase to 2%, an acceleration from December’s 1.7% gain. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 But more important than the straight-line acceleration or hard braking, both of which this Theon performed flawlessly, ITA001 shifts weight around exactly as a perfected Porsche should. Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Winter rains fuel ‘unprecedented’ acceleration and expansion of landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acceleration.' 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 Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French acceleratiun, borrowed from Latin accelerātiōn-, accelerātiō, from accelerāre "to accelerate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of acceleration was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near acceleration

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

acceleration

noun
ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌsel-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
ak-
1
: the act or process of accelerating : the state of being accelerated
2
: the rate of change of velocity with respect to time
also : change in velocity

Medical Definition

acceleration

noun
ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌsel-ə-ˈrā-shən, (ˌ)ak- How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
1
: the act or process of accelerating : the state of being accelerated
2
: change of velocity
also : the rate of this change
3
: advancement in mental growth or achievement beyond the average for one's age
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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