accretion

Meaning

1. (also, figuratively, uncountable) Increase by natural growth, especially the gradual increase of organic bodies by the internal addition of matter; organic growth; also, the amount of such growth.
2. (uncountable) (Gradual) increase by an external addition of matter; (countable) an instance of this.
3. (countable, uncountable) (Gradual) increase by an external addition of matter; (countable) an instance of this.
4. (also, figuratively, uncountable) Followed by of: external addition of matter to a thing which causes it to grow, especially in amount or size.
5. (uncountable) The process of separate particles aggregating or coalescing together; concretion; (countable) a thing formed in this manner.
6. (countable, uncountable) The process of separate particles aggregating or coalescing together; concretion; (countable) a thing formed in this manner.
7. (countable, figuratively) Something gradually added to or growing on a thing externally.
8. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Something gradually added to or growing on a thing externally.
9. (uncountable) Increase in property by the addition of other property to it (for example, gain of land by alluvion (“the deposition of sediment by a river or sea”) or dereliction (“recession of water from the usual watermark”), or entitlement to the products of the property such as interest on money); or by the property owner acquiring another person’s ownership rights; accession; (countable) an instance of this.
10. (uncountable) Increase of an inheritance to an heir or legatee due to the share of a co-heir or co-legatee being added to it, because the latter person is legally unable to inherit the share.

Opposite of

nonaccretion, attrition, erosion

Synonyms

growth

increase

accumulation

accession

proliferation

accretion of discount

overgrowth

aggradation

growing together

reproduction

rise

accrual

gain

escalation

development

augmentation

buildup

increment

multiplication

procreation

stores

vegetation

juvenescence

auxesis

alluvial deposit

addition

adhesion

aggrandizement

amplification

boost

concretion

configuration

debris

enlargement

expansion

figuration

formation

frame

grow

growing

hyperplasia

Translations

accrétion

accroissement

Zunahme

aumento

aangroei

développement

accrescimento

accretio

aanwas

ontwikkeling

toename

Zuwachs

crescimento

gestalte

groei

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈkɹiːʃn̩/

Etymology

PIE word
*h₂éd
Learned borrowing from Latin accrētiō (“increase, increment”) + English -ion (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results). Accrētiō is derived from accrēscō (“to grow, increase”) + -tiō (suffix forming nouns denoting actions or processes, or their results); and accrēscō is from ac- (a variant of ad-, prefix meaning ‘to’, or having an intensifying effect) + crēscō (“to grow; to increase”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“to cause to grow; to grow; to nourish”)).
Doublet of accrue, crescent, and increase.