accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt 

accumulated; accumulating

transitive verb

: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass

accumulate a fortune

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in quantity or number

snow accumulating to a depth of several feet

Synonyms

• accelerate
• appreciate
• balloon
• boom
• build up
• burgeon
• bourgeon
• climb
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• gain
• increase
• mount
• multiply
• mushroom
• proliferate
• rise
• roll up
• snowball
• spread
• swell
• wax

Examples of accumulate in a Sentence

Evidence of his guilt is accumulating.

the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating

Recent Examples on the Web

Operators typically have accumulated various maps and documents that conflict with one another and are sometimes out of date—the result of years of expansion that's been more reactive than proactive. —Eric Siegel, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

How to Clean the Outside of Your Salt and Pepper Shakers Your salt and pepper shakers can accumulate grease, grime, and dust just from sitting on the counter, especially if stored near the stove. —Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2024

If the hair is washed infrequently, sebum can accumulate on the scalp. —Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2024

The massacre and kidnappings not only summoned the collective vulnerability accumulated across 2,000 years of Jewish history. —Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin accumulātus, past participle of accumulāre "to heap up, add to, increase," from ad- ad- + cumulāre "to gather into a heap" — more at cumulate

Note: In part a Latinization of Middle French accumuler.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-myə-ˌlāt 

accumulated; accumulating

1

: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass

accumulate a fortune

2

: to increase in quantity, number, or amount

rubbish accumulates quickly

Legal Definition

accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late

accumulated; accumulating

transitive verb

: to gather especially little by little

specifically : to add (income from a fund) back into the principal

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in amount or number