acceleration

American  

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

noun

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

• 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

“PepsiCo’s fourth quarter results reflected a sequential acceleration in reported and organic revenue growth, with improvements in both the North America and International businesses,” CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a statement.

From Barron's

In April, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought circulated a memo calling for the acceleration of its use by the federal government.

From Salon

The company’s roots are intelligence and defense work, and Palantir has seen an acceleration of its already extensive contracts with the U.S. federal government.

From Barron's

That contributed to the acceleration of the price drop,” analysts wrote.

From Barron's

In the near term, investors should look for improvements in operating margins, fulfillment costs as a percentage of revenue, and capital-expenditure efficiency rather than headline revenue acceleration.

From Barron's