accumulate

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /əˈkju.mjəˌleɪt/ UK /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #23910

Meanings

1

verb
To gradually collect or gather more and more of something.

Over the years he accumulated a huge collection of records.
2

verb
To gradually increase in amount or number over time.

Dust quickly accumulates on these shelves.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to gradually collect or... amass collect gatherbuild uppile up

2 verb · to gradually increase in... aggregate cumulate

More accrueamoundgarner

Opposites

declinedecumulatelose

Word family

Forms accumulatedaccumulatesaccumulating

Derived forms accumulableaccumulativebioaccumulatedecumulatehyperaccumulatehyperaccumulatingmisaccumulatednonaccumulatingoveraccumulatepreaccumulatedreaccumulatereaccumulated

Related forms amass

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

accumulate evidence
to collect an increasing amount of information that supports a conclusion

Verb + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

If you don't speculate, you can't accumulate

Simplified etymology

Accumulate, recorded in late Middle English, comes from the family of Latin cumulus, meaning “a heap.” Its origin reflects the gathering or heaping up of things.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *ḱuh₁mósder.? Latin cumulus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin cumulō Latin accumulō Latin accumulātusbor. Middle English accumylaten English accumulate First attested c. 1487; from Middle English accumylaten, borrowed from Latin accumulātus, perfect passive participle of accumulō (“to amass, pile up”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-form…

accumylaten Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# accumulate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈkju.mjəˌleɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 23910

## Meanings
1. To gradually collect or gather more and more of something.
2. To gradually increase in amount or number over time.

## Examples
- Over the years he accumulated a huge collection of records.
- Dust quickly accumulates on these shelves.

## Synonyms
- accrue
- amound
- garner
- gather

## Antonyms
- decline
- decumulate
- lose

## Derived Forms
- accumulable
- accumulative
- bioaccumulate
- decumulate
- hyperaccumulate
- hyperaccumulating
- misaccumulated
- nonaccumulating
- overaccumulate
- preaccumulated
- reaccumulate
- reaccumulated

## Related Forms
- amass

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: accumylaten

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *ḱuh₁mósder.? Latin cumulus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin cumulō Latin accumulō Latin accumulātusbor. Middle English accumylaten English accumulate First attested c. 1487; from Middle English accumylaten, borrowed from Latin accumulātus, perfect passive participle of accumulō (“to amass, pile up”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-form…

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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