# accumulate

/əkˈjumjəˌɫeɪt/ (US) · /ɐkjˈuːmjʊlˌeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/accumulate
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to gather something gradually

verb · CEFR B2

to collect a large amount of something over time, often without trying very hard.

For teachers: to heap up or collect something in a mass; to bring together gradually. Transitive — takes a direct object.

- Over the years, he managed to accumulate a large collection of rare books.
- The corporation continued to accumulate capital throughout the fiscal year, despite the downturn in the global manufacturing sector.

Usage: Often used with abstract nouns like wealth, evidence, or debt.

### 2. to increase in quantity

verb · CEFR B2

to grow or increase in number or amount over time.

For teachers: to gradually grow or increase in quantity or number. Intransitive — does not take a direct object.

- Dust began to accumulate on the windowsills of the empty house.
- Toxic chemicals can accumulate in the soil over several decades, posing a significant risk to local groundwater supplies.

Usage: Commonly used in scientific or environmental contexts to describe physical buildup.

### 3. academic degrees

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Formal

to take two university degrees at the same time or very close together.

For teachers: to take a higher degree at the same time as a lower degree, or at a shorter interval than is standard.

- In the past, a student might accumulate their Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the same year.
- The university statutes formerly permitted candidates to accumulate degrees under specific, albeit rare, circumstances of exceptional scholarship.

Teaching tip: This sense is extremely rare in modern English; learners will almost exclusively encounter the 'collect' or 'increase' meanings.

## Examples

- Dust will accumulate on the shelves if you do not clean them.
- Over the course of his long career, the professor managed to accumulate a massive collection of rare manuscripts.
- As carbon dioxide continues to accumulate in the atmosphere, scientists warn that global temperatures will rise at an accelerating rate, leading to irreversible ecological shifts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.