accelerate

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd
Proto-Italic *ad
Proto-Italic *ad-
Latin ad-
Proto-Indo-European *kel-der.
Latin celer
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
Proto-Italic *-ājō
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin celerō
Latin accelerō
Latin accelerātuslbor.
▲
Latin accelerō
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Indo-European *-is
Proto-Indo-European *-tis
Proto-Indo-European *-Hō
Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō
Proto-Italic *-tiō
Latin -tiō
Latin accelerātiōder.
English accelerationbf.
English accelerate

    First attested in the 1520s. Either from Latin accelerātus, perfect passive participle of accelerō (“to accelerate, hasten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), formed from ad + celerō (“to hasten”), which is from celer (“quick”) (see celerity), or back-formation from acceleration.[1]

    Pronunciation

    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/, /ækˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/, /ɪkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/
    • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ɪkˈsɛl.əˌɹeɪt/
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • (Australia, New Zealand) IPA(key): /əkˈsel.əˌɹæɪt/

    Verb

    accelerate (third-person singular simple present accelerates, present participle accelerating, simple past and past participle accelerated)

    1. (transitive) To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of.
    2. (transitive) To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of.
      to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc.
      The company plans to accelerate its growth with new marketing strategies.
      She had to accelerate her work pace to meet the deadline.
      • 2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American Scientist:
        Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.
      • 2026 September 22, Madhumita Murgia, Lucy Fisher, “AI staff complain of mental toll over fears of threat to society”, in Financial Times‎[1], London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC:
        Many AI safety researchers who have spoken out about their unease describe AI companies deprioritising safety across the board while simultaneously accelerating capabilities of models to sell to customers.
        (Can we archive this URL?)
    3. (transitive, physics) To cause a change of velocity.
    4. (transitive) To hasten, as the occurrence of an event.
      to accelerate our departure
    5. (transitive, education) To enable a student to finish a course of study in less than normal time.
    6. (intransitive) To become faster; to begin to move more quickly.
      The car began to accelerate as soon as the light turned green.
    7. (intransitive) Grow; increase.
      (Can we add an example for this sense?)

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Adjective

    accelerate (not comparable)

    1. (archaic) Accelerated; quickened; hastened; hurried.
      • 1662, Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Dialogue 2:
        ... a general knowledg of the definition of motion, and of the distinction of natural and violent, even and accelerate, and the like, sufficing.

    References

    1. ^ Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 6

    Italian

    Etymology 1

    Adjective

    accelerate f pl

    1. feminine plural of accelerato

    Participle

    accelerate f pl

    1. feminine plural of accelerato

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    accelerate

    1. inflection of accelerare:
      1. second-person plural present indicative
      2. second-person plural imperative

    Latin

    Verb

    accelerāte

    1. second-person plural present active imperative of accelerō
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