: relating to or being a method of accounting that recognizes income when earned and expenses when incurred regardless of when cash is received or disbursed (see disburse sense 1a) compare cash entry 2
Examples of accrual in a Sentence
Noun
had an accrual of $100 through interest on my savings account last year
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Maybe letting users make lists is less about an accrual of cultural proficiency and more about extending empathy to the poor celebs who put their own taste on the line.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 June 2025
Amelia Wu, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Millions of student loan borrowers who were enrolled in a Biden-era repayment plan will soon see their monthly payments increase after the current administration restarted interest accrual Aug. 1.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accrual
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Noun
The lack of wildfire loss accruals in the second quarter of 2025 for the US utilities segment flattered the year-over-year comparisons.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Maybe letting users make lists is less about an accrual of cultural proficiency and more about extending empathy to the poor celebs who put their own taste on the line.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 June 2025
Adjective
Nine bargaining units saw their maximum vacation hour accrual increase by 120 hours, effective until June 2027.
—Amelia Wu, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Millions of student loan borrowers who were enrolled in a Biden-era repayment plan will soon see their monthly payments increase after the current administration restarted interest accrual Aug. 1.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accrual
Cite this Entry
“Accrual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accrual. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
accrual
noun
ac·cru·al
ə-ˈkrü-əl 
1
: the action or process of accruing
claim must be brought within two years of the date of accrual
2
a
: something that accrues
especially
: an amount of money that periodically accumulates for a specific purpose (as payment of taxes or interest)
b
: something that has accrued during a specified period
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