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

Fat accumulation in the liver may also have impaired the ability of pancreatic beta cells to release insulin, contributing to higher blood sugar levels in people in cluster 5.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026

This is clearly obvious in global statistics on profits and wealth accumulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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 underlying reason why this transition was piecemeal is that food production systems evolved as a result of the accumulation of many separate decisions about allocating time and effort.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers found that tubulin, a protein that serves as the building block of microtubules, may help prevent these toxic accumulations.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

Rainfall accumulations of 60-80mm are likely, with as much as 100-120mm over high ground.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

After a dry start to the winter, the region has been battered with atmospheric river storms since Christmas, with accumulations of up to six feet on nearby summits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026

Big Red chased the swaying patterns while his master swept and dusted, scrubbed the floor and scoured the toilet and cleared the desk of literary accumulations.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

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