acceleration
Americannoun
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the act of accelerating; increase of speed or velocity.
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a change in velocity.
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Mechanics. the time rate of change of velocity with respect to magnitude or direction; the derivative of velocity with respect to time.
noun
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the act of accelerating or the state of being accelerated
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a. the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocity
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a. the power to accelerate
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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.
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See more at gravity relativity
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
- nonacceleration noun
- overacceleration noun
- reacceleration noun
Etymology
Origin of acceleration
First recorded in 1525–35, acceleration is from the Latin word accelerātiōn- (stem of accelerātiō ). See accelerate, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"In 2019, Earth experienced one of these events, which caused an immense amount of radiation belt electron acceleration," said SwRI's Dr. Sarah Vines, a co-author of the paper.
From Science Daily
Shares of Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft all immediately fell after their earnings announcements in recent weeks, as their spending plans overshadowed any positive news of revenue acceleration.
From MarketWatch
“We are encouraged that the 2026 trajectory begins to exhibit a significant acceleration in revenue growth,” wrote Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro.
From Barron's
With all these factors taken into consideration, Reback believes Azure revenue acceleration is “unlikely” in the near term and likely will be tamped down by supply constraints and competitive pressure.
From Barron's
With all these factors taken into consideration, Reback believes Azure revenue acceleration is “unlikely” in the near term and likely will be tamped down by supply constraints and competitive pressure.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.