accumulation

noun

ac·cu·mu·la·tion | \ ə-ˌkyü-m(y)ə-ˈlā-shən

Definition of accumulation

1 : something that has accumulated or has been accumulated an impressive accumulation of knowledge

2 : the action or process of accumulating something : the state of being or having accumulated the steady accumulation of snow

3 : increase or growth by addition especially when continuous or repeated accumulation of interest

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Examples of accumulation in a Sentence

a vast accumulation of evidence about the dangers of smoking the accumulation of leaves on the ground is proceeding at a much faster rate than my raking

Recent Examples on the Web

The foul smell of rotten eggs as well as the accumulation of seaweed in the water and on the beach has caused us to leave early. — Dan Sweeney, sun-sentinel.com, "South Floridians are sick of smelly seaweed; cities say they’re doing what they can," 3 June 2019 For pretty much all of human civilization, the accumulation of tremendous wealth by an individual or family has typically resulted in a great house, perhaps even several. — Steven Stolman, House Beautiful, "Sunnylands: The California Mansion That Has Hosted Frank Sinatra, Queen Elizabeth, and More," 18 Apr. 2019 There are also homes with multiple roofs on a ridge line that form a fold, funneling snow down chutes to certain areas of the ground, while others have a narrow arch, reducing the surface and thus space for snow accumulation. — Nancy Keates, WSJ, "Homes in Snowy Places Leave Pitched Roofs Out in the Cold," 28 Nov. 2018 South Jersey, especially near Philadelphia, is predicted to remain relatively snow-free, with just an inch or less of accumulation. — Aric Jenkins, Time, "A Third Nor'easter Is Battering the East Coast. Here's How Much Snow Winter Storm Skylar Could Bring," 13 Mar. 2018 This same process would lead to the accumulation of nitrogen ice in the basin that now hosts Sputnik Planitia. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Enigmatic ridges on Pluto may be the remains of vanished nitrogen glaciers," 17 Nov. 2018 The organization cited a World Economic Forum report that said, at the current rate of accumulation, the amount of plastic in the oceans will outweigh all the fish in the oceans by 2050. — NBC News, "Plastic straws clog the ocean and hurt fish. Now there's a growing movement to ban them.," 26 May 2018 But the rate of accumulation is highly accelerated in children with progeria, resulting in heart disease, stiff joints, stunted growth, wrinkled skin, and loss of body fat and hair. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "A pediatric researcher whose son died of progeria sees promise in new treatment," 24 Apr. 2018 Four investigations found that worn and broken cutting equipment created a spark that ignited accumulations of coal dust and methane gas. — Washington Post, "From prison to politics, ex-coal CEO set for Senate vote," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accumulation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near accumulation

accumulated

accumulated surplus

accumulated temperature

accumulation

accumulation factor

accumulation of energy

accumulative

Statistics for accumulation

Last Updated

14 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for accumulation

The first known use of accumulation was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for accumulation

accumulation

noun

ac·cu·mu·la·tion | \ ə-ˌkyü-myə-ˈlā-shən

Kids Definition of accumulation

1 : an act of collecting or gathering the accumulation of snow

2 : collection sense 2 an accumulation of junk

accumulation

noun

ac·cu·mu·la·tion

Legal Definition of accumulation

: increase or growth by addition especially when continuous or repeated specifically : an increase in the amount of a fund or property by the continuous addition to it of the income or interest it generates to treat a stock dividend as principal when local law classifies it as income may be deemed an accumulation — W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al. — see also accumulation trust at trust

Note: Because they prevent the enjoyment and benefit of wealth, accumulations are deemed contrary to public policy. A provision in a will for an accumulation will be invalidated if found to be unreasonable by the court.