accrued; accruing
1
: to come into existence as a legally enforceable claim
2
a
: to come about as a natural growth, increase, or advantage
the wisdom that accrues with age
b
: to come as a direct result of some state or action
rewards due to the feminine will accrue to me—
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer3
: to accumulate or be added periodically
interest accrues on a daily basis
: to accumulate or have due after a period of time
accrue vacation time
Examples of accrue in a Sentence
I'll get back all the money I invested, plus any interest and dividends that have accrued.
investments that have accrued interest and dividends
Recent Examples on the Web
Damage was accrued by 329 apartments and totaled approximately 685,000 total square feet, making up a construction site that was about 50% complete, according to the apartment complex owner Fain Signature Group.
—Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024
The city’s letter does not identify the specific costs, but Reven was seeking to be reimbursed for around $500,000 in upfront expenses — legal fees, consulting fees, architectural fees, travel costs — accrued during the ENA period, both the city and the developer told the Union-Tribune.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Nearly a decade later, his finances are in tatters: Legal bills are piling up with interest accruing; the state of New York is threatening to seize some of his prime properties; and the stock of his Truth Social parent company is now in free fall.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Someone with so limited a lexicon, and the lack of intellectual curiosity to accrue an adult vocabulary has no business in the White House.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
While in theory, fewer inmates mean the state should be spending less, the department has accrued significant costs due to raises to correctional officers’ salaries and pensions and in part due to COVID-19.
—Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
If Trump decides to post a bond to cover the fine during his appeal, the interest will continue to accrue during his appeal, adding potentially tens of millions of dollars in the process.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Up to $20,000 accrued from unpaid interest after borrowers began repaying their student loans would be canceled, though some lower-income borrowers can qualify for more.
—Byjason Ma, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
For someone facing high-interest debt, the immediate priority might be to reduce this burden to avoid accruing excessive interest.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 3 Apr. 2024
The city’s letter does not identify the specific costs, but Reven was seeking to be reimbursed for around $500,000 in upfront expenses — legal fees, consulting fees, architectural fees, travel costs — accrued during the ENA period, both the city and the developer told the Union-Tribune.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
Nearly a decade later, his finances are in tatters: Legal bills are piling up with interest accruing; the state of New York is threatening to seize some of his prime properties; and the stock of his Truth Social parent company is now in free fall.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Someone with so limited a lexicon, and the lack of intellectual curiosity to accrue an adult vocabulary has no business in the White House.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
While in theory, fewer inmates mean the state should be spending less, the department has accrued significant costs due to raises to correctional officers’ salaries and pensions and in part due to COVID-19.
—Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
If Trump decides to post a bond to cover the fine during his appeal, the interest will continue to accrue during his appeal, adding potentially tens of millions of dollars in the process.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Up to $20,000 accrued from unpaid interest after borrowers began repaying their student loans would be canceled, though some lower-income borrowers can qualify for more.
—Byjason Ma, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024
For someone facing high-interest debt, the immediate priority might be to reduce this burden to avoid accruing excessive interest.
—True Tamplin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accrue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near accrue
Cite this Entry
“Accrue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accrue. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accrue
verb
ac·crue
ə-ˈkrü 
accrued; accruing
1
: to come about as a natural growth or addition
benefits accrue to society from education
2
: to accumulate over a period of time
accrued interest
accrual
noun
-ˈkrü-əl
Legal Definition
accrue
verb
ac·crue
ə-ˈkrü
accrued; accruing
1
: to come into existence as an enforceable claim : vest as a right
action…does not accrue until the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known that he may have suffered injury—National Law Journal
National Law JournalNote: Statutes of limitations begin to run when a cause of action accrues.
2
: to come by way of increase or addition : arise as a growth or result
—usually used with to or from
advantages accruing to society from the freedom of the press
interest accrues to the seller as a result of the delay
3
: to be periodically accumulated in the process of time whether as an increase or a decrease
the accruing of taxes
allowing the receivable interest to accrue
1
: to accumulate or have due after a period of time
authorized by law to accrue leave in the maximum amount of 90 days
2
: to enter in the books as an accrual
Etymology
Middle French accreue increase, addition to a property, from feminine of accreu, past participle of acreistre to increase
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