accumulate

[əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt]

[ə.ˈkjum.jə.ˌleɪt]

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Accumulate means to gather or collect things over time.

When people talk about accumulating things, they usually mean that they are gathering possessions, knowledge, or experiences. For example, if someone accumulates a lot of money through saving and investing, it means their wealth grows over the years. Similarly, a student might accumulate a collection of books on their favorite subject by buying them one by one each month. You can also talk about accumulating memories from traveling to new places or trying new activities. This usually happens naturally as you live your life and have more opportunities to collect experiences.

How common is "accumulate"?

Word accumulate is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together (either literally or figuratively)
Example: He wishes to accumulate a sum of money.
To grow or increase in quantity or number; to increase greatly.
To take a higher degree at the same time with a lower degree, or at a shorter interval than usual.

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aggregateamoundcollectgatheramass

adjective

Collected; accumulated.

Real examples of "accumulate" in context

Black Hole Star – The Star That Shouldn't Exist

Entertainment

In these clouds, matter starts to accumulate around the densest spots inside.

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