accrual

1 of 2

noun

ac·​cru·​al ə-ˈkrü-əl 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• increase
• gain
• addition
• boost

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

On the bright side, non-accruals (loans that are delinquent for a prolonged period, usually 90 days) were stable, and its credit quality remains in decent shape. —Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

PayPal is targeting use cases involving high-volume manual work, such as invoice processing and accruals, Miller said. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 26 June 2025

Adjective

And the resumption of interest accrual only adds pressure to borrowers to apply to switch repayment plans sooner rather than later, as their loan balances are now increasing even though no payments are due. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Nearly 8 million borrowers in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan are now collecting interest on their loans for the first time since former President Joe Biden placed the group in forbearance in July 2024, pausing both monthly payments and interest accrual. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for accrual

• nonfuel
• refuel
• renewal
• biofuel
• contextual
• nonrenewal
• nonsexual
• unusual
• cruel
• dual
• duel
• fuel

Legal 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