acceleration

noun

ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌse-lə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
(ˌ)ak-
1
a
: the act or process of moving faster or happening more quickly : the act or process of accelerating
rapid acceleration
the acceleration of economic growth
b
: ability to accelerate
a car with good acceleration
2
physics : the rate of change of velocity with respect to time
broadly : change of velocity

Examples of acceleration in a Sentence

The car delivers quick acceleration. There has been some acceleration in economic growth. There has been an acceleration in economic growth.
Recent Examples on the Web That hasn't always been standard in the automotive industry; in 2010, Toyota recalled millions of vehicles after thousands of complaints of unintended acceleration. Brian Barrett, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024 Small businesses’ inflation issues mirror the acceleration in the increase of the consumer price index this year, from a 3.1% annual rate in January to 3.5% in March. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for acceleration 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acceleration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French acceleratiun, borrowed from Latin accelerātiōn-, accelerātiō, from accelerāre "to accelerate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near acceleration

Cite this Entry

“Acceleration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acceleration. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

acceleration

noun
ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌsel-ə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
ak-
1
: the act or process of accelerating : the state of being accelerated
2
: the rate of change of velocity with respect to time
also : change in velocity

Medical Definition

acceleration

noun
ac·​cel·​er·​a·​tion ik-ˌsel-ə-ˈrā-shən, (ˌ)ak- How to pronounce acceleration (audio)
1
: the act or process of accelerating : the state of being accelerated
2
: change of velocity
also : the rate of this change
3
: advancement in mental growth or achievement beyond the average for one's age
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