accelerate

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verb ac·cel·er·ate \ -lə-ˌrāt \

Definition of accelerate

accelerated; accelerating

intransitive verb

1 :to move faster :to gain speed

The car slowly accelerated.

The pace of change has accelerated in recent months.

2 :to progress from grade to grade more rapidly than usual :to follow a speded-up educational program

transitive verb

1 :to bring about at an earlier time

Circumstances accelerated their departure.

2 :to cause to move faster

accelerated his steps

; also :to cause to undergo acceleration

3 a :to hasten the progress or development of

accelerate our efforts

b :increase

accelerate food production

4 a :to enable (a student) to complete a course in less than usual time

b :to speed up (something, such as a course of study)

See accelerate defined for English-language learners

See accelerate defined for kids

Examples of accelerate in a Sentence

She stepped on the gas and the car accelerated.
The plane accelerated down the runway.
She stepped on the gas and accelerated the car.
He says that cutting taxes will help to accelerate economic growth.
The rate of economic growth has continued to accelerate.

Recent Examples of accelerate from the Web

The department is also recommending that federal agencies accelerate and cut the costs of permitting for nuclear, hydropower and coal plants. —

— tim loh, Bloomberg.com, "U.S. to Say Power Markets Must ‘Evolve’ to Value Coal, Nuclear," 23 Aug. 2017
The U.S. has no interest in regime change or accelerated reunification of Korea.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Evidence of climate change abounds amid extreme weather in the Pacific Northwest," 14 Aug. 2017
Nine states controlled by Republicans adopted them following the 2010 election: Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The accelerated push for voter ID laws didn’t emerge from nowhere.

— mark armstrong, Longreads, "Dear Chief Justice John Roberts: Our Country Has Not Changed," 12 Aug. 2017
The absence of a state budget significantly exacerbates Hartford’s fiscal crisis and accelerates our cash flow challenge.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Moody's Warns State Budget Gridlock Could Make Hartford's Fiscal Woes Worse," 11 Aug. 2017
As the rate of violent crime continued to accelerate, fueled in part by the crack epidemic that started in the ’80s, the response got even tougher.

— emily yoffe, The Atlantic, "Innocence Is Irrelevant," 5 Aug. 2017
Frankly, the 720S has more to give than most drivers can probably take. Mashing the pedal to the (quite plush) carpet and accelerating through a tight curve, for example.

— by brian melton, star-telegram, "Formula 1 Fun: Super-Cool McLaren 720S is Hot, Hot, Hot," 2 Aug. 2017
But the plunging of the pound over the past decade, accelerated by Britain’s impending withdrawal from the European Union, means that today’s £20,570 fee is worth around $26,500—a relatively small increase over 10 years.

— howard swains, Town & Country, "How Scotland's University of St. Andrews Became a Top American School," 24 July 2017
Britain’s annual inflation rate dropped slightly in June to 2.6%, reversing the trend of accelerating prices since the vote last June to leave the EU.

— The Economist, "Business this week," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accelerate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of accelerate

borrowed from Latin accelerātus, past participle of accelerāre "to add speed to, hasten the occurrence of, go quickly," from ad- ad- + celerāre "to hasten," verbal derivative of celer "swift, speedy," perhaps going back to *keli-li-/ri-, derivative from the Indo-European base of Greek kélomai, kelésthai "urge, exhort," kelēt-, kélēs "swift horse, charger"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1522

See Words from the same year

accelerate Synonyms

Synonyms

increase, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, wax

Antonyms

contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

Related Words

jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peak

Near Antonyms

delay, encumber, fetter, hamper, hinder, hobble, hold back, hold up, impede, interfere (with), manacle, rein (in), restrain, shackle, tie up, trammel; arrest, check, stall, stay, still, stop

ACCELERATE Defined for Kids

accelerate

play

verb ac·cel·er·ate \ ak-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt \

Definition of accelerate for Students

accelerated; accelerating

1 :to move or cause to move faster

The car accelerated going downhill.

2 :to cause to happen more quickly

Using plant food accelerates growth.

Medical Dictionary

accelerate

play

verb ac·cel·er·ate \ ik-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt, ak- \

medical Definition of accelerate

accelerated; accelerating

transitive verb

:to cause to move faster or speed up

accelerated speech and motor activity in manic patients

; also :to cause to undergo acceleration

intransitive verb

:to move faster :gain speed

Law Dictionary

accelerate

verb ac·cel·er·ate

legal Definition of accelerate

accelerated; accelerating

transitive verb

:to bring about at an earlier time: as

a :to advance (the maturity date of a security agreement) so that payment of the debt in full is due immediately — see also acceleration clause

b :to cause (a future interest in property) to vest by removing the preceding interests (as by failure or premature termination)

intransitive verb

:to enforce an acceleration clause

held that the creditor's right to accelerate was suspended
—J. J. White and R. S. Summers

—

acceleration

noun

Learn More about accelerate

See words that rhyme with accelerate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for accelerate Spanish Central: Translation of accelerate Nglish: Translation of accelerate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of accelerate for Arabic speakers

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accelerate

Definition of accelerate

From the M-W Editors

Examples of accelerate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of accelerate from the Web

Origin and Etymology of accelerate

accelerate Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

ACCELERATE Defined for Kids

accelerate

Definition of accelerate for Students

Medical Dictionary

accelerate

medical Definition of accelerate

Law Dictionary

accelerate

legal Definition of accelerate

acceleration

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