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

Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025

Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025

The fundraiser accumulated over $1,200 donations before Wilson shut it down upon the request of Chase's mother. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025

With cold air still in place, accumulating snowfall is likely for many areas before a changeover to rain occurs. —Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2025

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