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, 16 Nov. 2025

One or two inches of snow could accumulate on the ground in some areas, but it's expected to melt quickly, especially on roadways. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 16 Nov. 2025

However, the Titans’ run game has been more productive, accumulating over 1,200 rushing yards as a team. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

The first-time homebuyer age hit 40 years old in 2025, according to the National Association of Realtors, revealing that only people with some degree of wealth accumulated over many years of adulthood can afford to make purchases in the housing sector. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Nov. 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