accelerate

[ak-sel-uh-reyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR accelerate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), ac·cel·er·at·ed, ac·cel·er·at·ing.

to cause faster or greater activity, development, progress, advancement, etc., in: to accelerate economic growth.

to hasten the occurrence of: to accelerate the fall of a government.

Mechanics. to change the velocity of (a body) or the rate of (motion); cause to undergo acceleration.

to reduce the time required for (a course of study) by intensifying the work, eliminating detail, etc.

verb (used without object), ac·cel·er·at·ed, ac·cel·er·at·ing.

to move or go faster; increase in speed.

to progress or develop faster.

Origin of accelerate

1515–25; < Latin accelerātus speeded up (past participle of accelerāre), equivalent to ac- ac- + celer swift + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsac·cel·er·a·ble, adjectiveac·cel·er·at·ed·ly, adverbo·ver·ac·cel·er·ate, verb, o·ver·ac·cel·er·at·ed, o·ver·ac·cel·er·at·ing.re·ac·cel·er·ate, verb, re·ac·cel·er·at·ed, re·ac·cel·er·at·ing.self-ac·cel·erat·ing, adjectiveun·ac·cel·er·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for accelerate

advance, further, hasten, spur, stimulate, expedite, quicken, tool, drive, gun, impel, forward, dust, precipitate, railroad, hurry, roll, rev

Examples from the Web for accelerate

Contemporary Examples of accelerate

It may accelerate the adoption of laws giving patients more power.
The Upside of Ebola (Yes, There May Actually Be One)
Nick Gillespie
October 13, 2014
“Accelerate this process,” said Royce, adding that the Free Syrian Army is the antidote to the ongoing expansion of ISIS in Syria.
After Steven Sotloff Murder, Congress Demands a Vote on Obama’s ISIS War
Josh Rogin
September 2, 2014
This trend will only accelerate as whites lapse at higher rates than nonwhites.
Even Conservative Evangelical Support Couldn’t Save Immigration Reform
Jacob Lupfer
July 6, 2014
“We have every reason to expect these demographic changes to continue, if not accelerate,” Bonica said.
The New Face of American Medicine: Liberal Women
Dale Eisinger
June 9, 2014
Conservative evangelicalism is losing millennials in gobs, and the World Vision fallout is sure to only accelerate the fallout.
World Vision’s Gay Compromise
Brad Kramer
March 26, 2014

Historical Examples of accelerate

The narrowness serves to concentrate the strength and accelerate the work.
Mountain Meditations
L. Lind-af-Hageby
And he was stamping off to accelerate these preparations for departure, when her voice arrested him.
Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini
To accelerate the introduction of the cargo, a grain-elevator was employed.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 454
Various
As soon as the copter grounded, he could accelerate and escape.
Rebels of the Red Planet
Charles Louis Fontenay
The small ships were not able to accelerate to the terrific speed needed.
The Black Star Passes
John W Campbell

British Dictionary definitions for accelerate

accelerate

verb

to go, occur, or cause to go or occur more quickly; speed up

(tr) to cause to happen sooner than expected

(tr) to increase the velocity of (a body, reaction, etc); cause acceleration

Derived Formsaccelerable, adjectiveaccelerative or acceleratory, adjective

Word Origin for accelerate

C16: from Latin accelerātus, from accelerāre to go faster, from ad- (intensive) + celerāre to hasten, from celer swift

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for accelerate

1520s, from Latin acceleratus, past participle of accelerare "to hasten, to quicken," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift" (see celerity). Related: Accelerated; accelerating.