accumulate

verb

ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce accumulate (audio)
accumulated; accumulating
Synonyms of accumulate

transitive verb

: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass
accumulate a fortune

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in quantity or number
snow accumulating to a depth of several feet

Synonyms of accumulate

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Examples of accumulate in a Sentence

Evidence of his guilt is accumulating. the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Echo chambers, firehoses of information, discerning what’s real and what’s AI-generated, all accumulate to chip away at trust. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 The fan guards inside the walk-in cooler had accumulated dust. — Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 As agents accumulate conversation history, retrieved documents, memory, system instructions, tool definitions and execution state, interactions can progressively become larger and more expensive. — Pritam Debnath, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The power of people All of this knowledge has accumulated because people value birds and have devoted enormous time and effort to understanding them. — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accumulate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin accumulātus, past participle of accumulāre "to heap up, add to, increase," from ad- ad- + cumulāre "to gather into a heap" — more at cumulate

Note: In part a Latinization of Middle French accumuler.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of accumulate was in the 15th century

Rhymes for accumulate

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Browse Nearby Words

accumulable
accumulate
accumulated
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Cite this Entry

“Accumulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accumulate. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

accumulate

verb
ac·​cu·​mu·​late ə-ˈkyü-myə-ˌlāt How to pronounce accumulate (audio)
accumulated; accumulating
1
: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass
accumulate a fortune
2
: to increase in quantity, number, or amount
rubbish accumulates quickly

Legal Definition

accumulate

verb
ac·​cu·​mu·​late
accumulated; accumulating

transitive verb

: to gather especially little by little
specifically : to add (income from a fund) back into the principal

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in amount or number
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