accelerant

noun

ac·​cel·​er·​ant ik-ˈse-lə-rənt How to pronounce accelerant (audio)
ak-
: a substance used to accelerate a process (such as the spreading of a fire)

Examples of accelerant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The best way to think about the role of climate change in the L.A. fires is as an accelerant. Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025 Cops retraced his path, and found a backpack with ammunition, a pistol crossbow, liquid accelerants and identifying documents inside, police said. Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025 Hwang Sun-jae, a sociologist who studies fertility norms, traces the swift dissemination of low fertility in part to social media’s role as an accelerant of global monoculture. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 The state has made some inroads in addressing greenhouse-gas emissions, which drive extreme temperatures and drought, but one of the greatest accelerants is practically synonymous with California itself. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for accelerant

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accelerant was in 1824

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Cite this Entry

“Accelerant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accelerant. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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