accumulation

American  

[uh-kyoo-myuh-ley-shuhn] / əˌkju mjəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• accumulations
  plural

1. act or state of accumulating; state of being accumulated.

2. that which is accumulated; an accumulated amount, number, or mass.

3. growth by continuous additions, as of interest to principal.

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accumulation British  

/ əˌkjuːmjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of collecting together or becoming collected

2. something that has been collected, gathered, heaped, etc

3. finance

   1. the continuous growth of capital by retention of interest or earnings

   2. (in computing the yield on a bond purchased at a discount) the amount that is added to each yield to bring the cost of the bond into equality with its par value over its life Compare amortization

4. the taking of a first and an advanced university degree simultaneously

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonaccumulation
  noun
• overaccumulation
  noun
• preaccumulation
  noun
• reaccumulation
  noun
• superaccumulation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• accumulations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of accumulation

First recorded in 1480–90, accumulation is from the Latin word accumulātiōn- (stem of accumulātiō ). See accumulate, -ion

Explanation

An accumulation is a gathering or increase of something over time. You might cross your fingers in hopes of a large accumulation of snow, so that you get a day off of school. Accumulation comes from a Latin word meaning "to heap up." The word continues to have this feeling of something growing upwards on top of itself, as if in a heap. If you keep putting money in the bank, the amount you have is the accumulation of your savings. If it is an interest bearing account, the interest will accumulate, making the total even larger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accumulation accumulations

Anything that blocks them, be it an avalanche or landslide, will lead to a "big accumulation of water, then it creates these incredibly fast floods."

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Investing, by comparison, offers a much better shot at long-term wealth accumulation.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Burnham told BBC's Wake up to Money he will deliver an "accumulation of smaller things" that "combine to take the pressure down" on household budgets.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Li, who is in his late 40s, was an early beneficiary of the loophole that allowed the accumulation of overseas wealth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

In addition, the accumulation of black soot and debris around the camp was soaking up the heat of the sun and warming the floe, turning the surface to slush.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

“No, but I’m very excited because it’s kind of a way for me to perhaps move my accumulations into the world at large,” he said.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

As the Eaton and Palisades fires roared across the Altadena area and the coastal Santa Monica Mountains in January 2025, the flames were fueled in part by accumulations of bone-dry chaparral, brush and other vegetation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

While the wintry weather has come to a sudden end, significant snow accumulations across parts of Scotland, combined with heavy rainfall and rising temperatures, are increasing the risk of flooding as the snow melts.

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

But people don’t buy annuities and remain reluctant to tap their accumulations.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Gone the ink marks from legs and face, all my creations and accumulations of the day gone, and replaced by goose pimples.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

• accretion
• aggregation
• buildup
• growth
• inflation
• pile
• quantity