accrual

1 of 2

noun

ac·​cru·​al ə-ˈkrü-əl How to pronounce accrual (audio)
1
: the action or process of accruing something
money gained by the accrual of interest
2
: something that accrues or has accrued
an employee's vacation accruals

accrual

2 of 2

adjective

: 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
Noun
Instead of the usual one-half of 1 percent (0.5 percent) per month rate, accruals are just one-quarter of 1 percent (0.25 percent) per month, Smith pointed out. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 This is partially offset by low accruals to assets of –1.0%, ranking in the 29th percentile of all stocks. Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 This winter, when leaves have fallen and trees are easier to measure, Anew will dispatch foresters to establish baseline volumes of biomass from which the accrual of carbon will be measured, said Cakey Worthington, vice president of carbon operations. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 2 Nov. 2022 Interest accruals resumed on Sept. 1, and bills will start coming due in October. Akayla Gardner, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2023 In a payroll process scenario, with employee details and pay data being maintained in separate tables, the payment amount goes into an accrual in accounting on the side of the general ledger. Rajesh Parthasarathy, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023 Ames said his staff is still struggling with time-off accruals in the new system. Josephine Peterson, Dallas News, 6 Sep. 2023 The term refers to the accrual of interest earned on an initial investment, which is then reinvested with the original savings. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023 After Yellow’s companies opted to suspend health care benefits and pension accruals for workers, Teamsters threatened to strike. Hannah Denham | Hdenham@al.com, al, 9 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Those metrics and performance indicators are generally synonymous with lasting performance, viability and revenue accrual. Dylan Taylor, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Mauer’s case will age well, particularly as his offensive output and WAR accrual is weighed against Yadier Molina, a likely Hall of Fame catcher who will be eligible four years from now. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024 Ultimately, the beneficial features of SAVE mean that for many borrowers, enrolling in SAVE is the best course of action resulting in lower payments, an end to negative amortization associated with interest accrual, and eventual student loan forgiveness. Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Since the pause on interest accrual was lifted in October, only 60 percent of current borrowers have made a payment. Joe Pitts, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 Political finger pointing around what caused the accelerated debt accrual, meanwhile, has left the government at an impasse around the budget. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023 At the onset of Covid-19, the federal government chose to pause interest accrual on student loans to provide student borrowers financial relief. Joe Pitts, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 The Department of Education will also cap interest accrual for those approved for SAVE -- essentially canceling any interest not covered by their monthly payments to prevent loans from growing. Molly Nagle, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2023 Payments and interest accrual on federal student loans initially were paused by the Trump administration and Congress as the pandemic took hold in 2020. Andrew Restuccia, WSJ, 2 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accrual.' 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

Noun

accrue + -al entry 2

Adjective

derivative of accrual entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accrual was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near accrual

Cite this Entry

“Accrual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accrual. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

accrual

noun
ac·​cru·​al ə-ˈkrü-əl How to pronounce accrual (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on accrual

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!