acceleration

[ ak-sel-uh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of accelerating; increase of speed or velocity.
2. a change in velocity.
3. Mechanics. the time rate of change of velocity with respect to magnitude or direction; the derivative of velocity with respect to time.

acceleration

/ ækˌsɛləˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of accelerating or the state of being accelerated
2. the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocity a
3. the power to accelerate a

acceleration

/ ăk-sĕl′ə-rā′shən /

1. The rate of change of the velocity of a moving body. An increase in the magnitude of the velocity of a moving body (an increase in speed) is called a positive acceleration; a decrease in speed is called a negative acceleration. Acceleration, like velocity, is a vector quantity, so any change in the direction of a moving body is also an acceleration. A moving body that follows a curved path, even when its speed remains constant, is undergoing acceleration.
2. See more at gravity

acceleration

1. A change in the velocity of an object.

Notes

The most familiar kind of acceleration is a change in the speed of an object. An object that stays at the same speed but changes direction, however, is also being accelerated. ( See force .)

Other Words From

• nonac·celer·ation noun
• over·ac·celer·ation noun
• reac·celer·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of acceleration¹

First recorded in 1525–35, acceleration is from the Latin word accelerātiōn- (stem of accelerātiō ). See accelerate, -ion

Example Sentences

Companies are finding new ways to do business, and in the process we’re seeing an acceleration of technologies that, though they were already in the pipeline, would have taken several more years to really pick up speed.

From Singularity Hub 

There’s huge swaths of our society that will be completely left behind by the acceleration of these technological trends.

From Ozy

The acceleration of digitization, the re-thinking of offices, the increasing involvement of stakeholders on issues like safety and diversity, have created a greater need and desire by executives to convene and share ideas and best practices.

From Fortune

If you want powerful, fast acceleration from a dead stop to get up to speed in traffic or with heavy loads, a Class 2 throttle-assist bike with a motor that has a max torque of 60 Newton-meters or higher might be the right approach.

From Outside Online

Meanwhile, direct-to-consumer sales are up 1,400 percent from the same time last year, a surge Wolfe Pereira attributes to “the acceleration of e-commerce.”

From Ozy

One rapid acceleration per day adds up to $365 in additional fuel costs per year.

From The Daily Beast

The three most fuel-costly activities are rough braking, rapid acceleration, and speeding above 70 mph.

From The Daily Beast

And if the effect of acceleration was stronger in some patches than others, that would mean less or more clumping up of galaxies.

From The Daily Beast

That return, and that acceleration, are not coincidences either.

From The Daily Beast

It has three sensors which track steps, acceleration, and altitude.

From The Daily Beast

I lay there, the increasing acceleration pressing me hard against the cool metal.

From Project Gutenberg

On a curved bridge the centrifugal load due to the radical acceleration of the train.

From Project Gutenberg

The function of this plunger is to provide a resistance in addition to that of the air valve spring to assist in acceleration.

From Project Gutenberg

You do not really employ that barbarous method of acceleration?

From Project Gutenberg

"All the other Gerns are by now in their acceleration couches," he said.

From Project Gutenberg