acceleration
Americannoun
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the act of accelerating; increase of speed or velocity.
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a change in velocity.
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Mechanics. the time rate of change of velocity with respect to magnitude or direction; the derivative of velocity with respect to time.
noun
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the act of accelerating or the state of being accelerated
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a. the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocity
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a. the power to accelerate
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The rate of change of the velocity of a moving body. An increase in the magnitude of the velocity of a moving body (an increase in speed) is called a positive acceleration; a decrease in speed is called a negative acceleration. Acceleration, like velocity, is a vector quantity, so any change in the direction of a moving body is also an acceleration. A moving body that follows a curved path, even when its speed remains constant, is undergoing acceleration.
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See more at gravity relativity
Discover More
The most familiar kind of acceleration is a change in the speed of an object. An object that stays at the same speed but changes direction, however, is also being accelerated. (See force.)
Other Word Forms
- nonacceleration noun
- overacceleration noun
- reacceleration noun
Etymology
Origin of acceleration
First recorded in 1525–35, acceleration is from the Latin word accelerātiōn- (stem of accelerātiō ). See accelerate, -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, chemotherapy was linked to the greatest acceleration.
From Science Daily
But the growth rate turned back up in the second half of the fiscal year, and Nvidia’s guidance was for more acceleration in the current quarter.
From Barron's
“Palantir is in a category of one, delivering total revenue growth, acceleration and margin expansion at scale that is unlike anything else in software,” Moskowitz wrote in a note to investors.
From MarketWatch
The company also provided a full-year outlook that implied an acceleration in sales growth, a sign that the turnaround plan the company launched in August 2025 was taking hold.
From MarketWatch
The company also provided a full-year outlook that implied an acceleration in sales growth, a sign that the turnaround plan the company launched in August 2025 was taking hold.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
