acceleration

noun

ac·cel·er·a·tion | \ ik-ˌse-lə-ˈrā-shən ,

(ˌ)ak- \

Definition of acceleration

1a : 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

Gamma rays are associated with the particle acceleration that produces both neutrinos and cosmic rays. — Author: Sarah Kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, "In a cosmic first, scientists detect ‘ghost particles’ from a distant galaxy," 12 July 2018 Many in this compact-SUV class suffer from numb handling, unenthusiastic acceleration, and cheap-feeling interior materials. — Car and Driver, "2018 Ford Escape," 23 Mar. 2018 They could be used not only for acceleration, but enhanced braking using forward-facing thrusters, better road grip with upward-facing thrusters, and highly enhanced handling at speed using side thrusters. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Next Roadster Will Feature Actual SpaceX Rocket Thrusters," 10 June 2018 To Schwadron, the project has three key components: to study the global heliosphere, to discover the origins of particle acceleration, and to continue to take key measurements of space weather phenomena. — Elise Takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "NASA selects UNH researchers for mission to study safer space travel," 8 June 2018 Those might be a big, flat easy-to-hit button to trigger different game functions, or a mouthpiece that can control a player's speed through breathing, or maybe a foot pedal for acceleration. — Rachel Lerman, courant.com, "Microsoft's New Xbox Controller Courts Gamers With Disabilities," 30 May 2018 If the unemployment rate drops faster, officials likely will be more attuned to the potential for an acceleration in inflation. — Nick Timiraos, WSJ, "Fed Minutes to Offer Clues on Where Rates Are Headed," 23 May 2018 Use my value for the vertical acceleration during a turbolaser bolt trajectory. — Rhett Allain, WIRED, "Something's Off With the Turbolaser Shots in The Last Jedi," 11 May 2018 Tuck it in toward the boat for faster acceleration. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "Watch Us Take Apart an Outboard Motor Into 501 Pieces," 6 Aug. 2015

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