Meaning & use
acceleration
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The rate at which speed or a process increases over time.
Grammar: Often uncountable as a process: sudden acceleration; a plural is possible when comparing instances.
Patterns
- rapid acceleration
- acceleration of growth
- an acceleration in sales
The acceleration surprised passengers on the roller coaster.
We noticed an acceleration in demand after the announcement.
noununcountablephysics
In physics, change in velocity per unit time, whether the object speeds up or slows down.
Grammar: Technical use; acceleration is not the same as high speed.
Patterns
- constant acceleration
- acceleration due to gravity
Students calculated acceleration from the slope of a velocity graph.
Braking produces acceleration in the opposite direction of motion.
Word forms
| plural | accelerations |
|---|
Common combinations
- rapid acceleration
- Rapid acceleration can unsettle passengers.
- economic acceleration
- Economists reported an economic acceleration in spring.
- acceleration due to gravity
- Near Earth, acceleration due to gravity is about 9.8 m/s².
- rate of acceleration
- The rate of acceleration changed near the finish line.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speed-up
- Informal and broad; acceleration can refer to a measurable rate, not just faster movement.
- quickening
- Quickening suggests becoming more lively or rapid, often of a process, and is less technical.
- escalation
- Escalation implies growth in seriousness, intensity, or conflict rather than speed itself.
Opposites
Word family
- accelerate verb
- To move faster or make something happen faster.
- accelerator noun
- A device, pedal, or program that increases speed.
- accelerative adjective
- Tending to increase acceleration.
Commonly confused: acceleration or velocity? acceleration or speed?
acceleration vs velocity
Velocity is speed in a direction; acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes.
acceleration vs speed
Speed is how fast something moves; acceleration describes getting faster or changing velocity.
Practice
Which statement is most accurate in physics?
Choose one answer.
In physics, acceleration is change in velocity over time, so braking can be acceleration opposite the motion. Fast speed alone does not prove acceleration, and m/s² is the usual unit, not miles per hour.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “acceleration”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.