acceleration

American  

[ak-sel-uh-ray-shuhn, ik-] / ækˌsɛl əˈreɪ ʃən, ɪk- /

noun

• accelerations
  plural

1. the act of accelerating; increase of speed or velocity.

2. a change in velocity.

3. Mechanics. the time rate of change of velocity with respect to magnitude or direction; the derivative of velocity with respect to time.

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acceleration British  

/ ækˌsɛləˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of accelerating or the state of being accelerated

2. a. the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocity

3. a. the power to accelerate

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acceleration Scientific  

/ ăk-sĕl′ə-rā′shən /

1. The rate of change of the velocity of a moving body. An increase in the magnitude of the velocity of a moving body (an increase in speed) is called a positive acceleration; a decrease in speed is called a negative acceleration. Acceleration, like velocity, is a vector quantity, so any change in the direction of a moving body is also an acceleration. A moving body that follows a curved path, even when its speed remains constant, is undergoing acceleration.

2. See more at gravity relativity

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acceleration Cultural  

1. A change in the velocity of an object.

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Discover More

The most familiar kind of acceleration is a change in the speed of an object. An object that stays at the same speed but changes direction, however, is also being accelerated. (See force.)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonacceleration
  noun
• overacceleration
  noun
• reacceleration
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accelerations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of acceleration

First recorded in 1525–35, acceleration is from the Latin word accelerātiōn- (stem of accelerātiō ). See accelerate, -ion

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Explanation

Acceleration is the act of increasing speed. When you buy a sports car, you want one that has great acceleration, so it can go from zero to 60 miles an hour in no time. Acceleration comes from the Latin word accelerationem, which means "a hastening." When you hasten, you hurry, so acceleration is a speeding-up. Maybe you are walking to an appointment and realize you will be late. You pick up your pace — that's acceleration. If the rain on a stormy day begins to come down faster, that too is acceleration. As you can see, acceleration isn't just for cars.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acceleration accelerations

The European Central Bank raised its key interest rate twice this year as it sought to put a lid on the acceleration of energy prices spreading to other parts of the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

But Temple and his collaborators began questioning whether the underlying mathematics could remain stable, prompting them to investigate other possible explanations for the observed acceleration.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026

That strong growth was driven by an acceleration in investment, and strong consumer spending.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

The BEA said the acceleration in GDP growth was driven by an increase in investment and an upturn in government spending, which were partially offset by a decrease in exports.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt’s superbly smooth action, its phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

For aging relatives who are still driving, family members can receive reports of sudden stops or fast accelerations as well as a notification of a crash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

It included the dates of 640 trips, their start and end times, the distance driven and an accounting of any speeding, hard braking or sharp accelerations.

From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2024

In Physics of Fluids, from AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Utah report snowflake accelerations in atmospheric turbulence.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 19, 2023

Some of Dr Wyss-Coray's earlier work suggests the biological ageing process is not steady but comes in bursts, with some rapid accelerations in people's mid-30s, early-60s and late-70s.

From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2023

Under extremely strong gravitational accelerations, even light is affected.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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