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

After mastering the accumulation phase of your wealth journey, managing the distribution phase can get increasingly tricky.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026

Siegel said Fat Brands’ bankruptcy stemmed from its severe debt accumulation, not the underperformance of any particular restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The results suggest that the MPS may act as a protective barrier in neurons by slowing APP uptake and limiting the accumulation of toxic molecules.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

But the accumulation of methane gas, exacerbated by heat waves and the climate crisis, can turn these dumping grounds into powder kegs.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

In the morning, before he set out, he had always spent time getting rid of the night’s accumulation of water.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

“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

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

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

Snow accumulations could be around 2-10cm at low levels but up to 20-30cm over higher ground with some drifting and blizzards.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025

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