accretion

noun

ac·​cre·​tion ə-ˈkrē-shən 

1

: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: such as

a

: increase by external addition or accumulation (as by adhesion of external parts or particles)

b

: the increase of land by the action of natural forces

2

: a product of accretion

especially : an extraneous addition

accretions of grime

accretionary

ə-ˈkrē-shə-ˌner-ē 

-ˌne-rē

adjective

Did you know?

The slow accretion of scientific knowledge over many centuries has turned into an avalanche in our time. Any accretion of ice on a grounded jet will result in takeoff delays because of the danger it poses. The land area of the Mississippi Delta increases every year from the accretion of soil washed down the Mississippi River, though the accretions happen so slowly that it's difficult to detect any increase at all. Accretion is often used in scientific writing; its usual verb form, accrue, is more often used in financial contexts ("This figure doesn't count the accrued interest on the investments").

Synonyms

• accumulation
• assemblage
• collection
• cumulation
• cumulus
• gathering
• lodgment
• lodgement
• pileup

Examples of accretion in a Sentence

rocks formed by the slow accretion of limestone

There was an accretion of ice on the car's windshield.

Recent Examples on the Web

Over time, there are an accretion of these measures, all of which serve only to raise the risk of renting to people with less money struggling to find an apartment. —Roger Valdez, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024

Baseball is a game of accretion, in which no single game matters all that much. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2024

Instead, periods of intense interstate rivalry happen when great powers choose—sometimes as a matter of grand strategy, other times through the accretion of individual tactical decisions—to prioritize conflict over cooperation. —Daniel H. Nexon, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2021

Told in a circular fashion, from varying points of view, the story’s accretion of tiny details implies that something sinister has happened without ever revealing the girl’s fate. —Jess Row, Washington Post, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin accrētiōn-, accrētiō "increase," from accrē- (stem of accrēscere "to increase, be added") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at accrue

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing accretion

• accretion disc
• accretion disk

Kids Definition

accretion

noun

ac·​cre·​tion ə-ˈkrē-shən 

1

: the process of growth or enlargement

especially : increase or growth by addition on the outside

2

: a product or result of accretion

Medical Definition

accretion

noun

ac·​cre·​tion ə-ˈkrē-shən 

: the process of growth or enlargement

especially : increase by external addition or accumulation (as by adhesion of external parts or particles) compare apposition sense 1, intussusception sense 2

accretionary

-shə-ˌner-ē 

adjective

Legal Definition

accretion

noun

ac·​cre·​tion ə-ˈkrē-shən 

1

: the process or a result of growth or enlargement: as

a

: the increase or extension of the boundaries of land or the consequent acquisition of land accruing to the owner by the gradual or imperceptible action of natural forces (as by the washing up of sand or soil from the sea or a river or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark)

also : accession in which the boundaries of land are enlarged by this process compare avulsion, reliction

b

: increase in the amount or extent of any kind of property or in the value of any property

accretions to a trust fund resulting from the increase in value of…securities in which its corpus is invested

—In re Estate of Gartenlaub, 244 P. 348 (1926)

Note: Accretion in value of the principal of a trust is generally not considered income.

c

: enlargement of a bargaining unit by the addition of new employees

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : the passing to an heir or conjoint legatee of the right to accept a portion of a succession resulting from the failure of a coheir or colegatee to take his or her own share