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 of accumulate

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• expand
• swell

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

That structure is particularly relevant to occasional travelers who may not have accumulated enough points for a completely free night. — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

In contrast, platinum-silver catalysts accumulated carbon deposits that blocked active sites, while chromium-silver catalysts became less effective because of oxidation. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026

When the question is accumulated knowledge with years of safety and efficacy data, refined dosing, and better patient selection, sponsors are told that information doesn’t go the other way. — Kat Bryant Knudson, STAT, 31 July 2026

The missing payments accumulated over several games, with the Roots paying only secondary fees but not their base rate of $138,000. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

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

Rhymes for accumulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate
• ameliorate

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