English Reference
Noun

deceleration

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪˌsɛɫɝˈeɪʃən/ UK /dɪsˌɛləɹˈeɪʃən/ de·cel·er·a·tion UK spelling decelerations

n.the process of slowing down. It is the opposite of acceleration and describes how quickly something loses speed.

n.the rate at which an object slows down; the negative of acceleration. Often used in physics and engineering to describe the reduction of velocity over time.


SIMPLE

The car's sudden deceleration caused the passengers to lurch forward.

CONTEXTUAL

Engineers must calculate the rate of deceleration to ensure the train can stop safely within the station limits.

COMPLEX

While the initial acceleration of the rocket was impressive, the final phase of the mission required a controlled deceleration to enter the correct orbital path around the moon.

The report indicates that "Engine 1's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery.

BBC News· 10 Jun 2026

From de- + (ac)celeration.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated