accumulation
n. C / Un. a gradual increase in the amount of something over time. You use this when things like money, snow, or work build up slowly.
n. the process of gradually gathering or increasing a quantity of something over a period of time. Often used in financial contexts to describe the growth of capital or in physical sciences for the buildup of matter.
The accumulation of dust on the shelves shows no one lives here.
The steady accumulation of interest in her savings account allowed her to retire five years earlier than planned.
The rapid accumulation of evidence against the suspect forced the defense team to reconsider their strategy before the trial reached the jury.
From Middle English acumulacyon, from Middle French accumulation and its etymon, Latin accumulātiō, accumulātiōnis. By surface analysis, accumulate + -ion. First attested in the late 15th century. Doublet of accumulatio.
Uncountable when referring to the general process of gathering; countable when referring to a specific mass or collection of items.