accelerate

UK: /ækˈsɛləreɪt/ US: /ækˈsɛləˌreɪt/ ,(ak sel′ə rāt′)

Inflections of 'accelerate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

accelerates

v 3rd person singular

accelerating

v pres p

accelerated

v past

accelerated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•cel•er•ate /ækˈsɛləˌreɪt/   v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to (cause to) develop, progress, or advance faster: [no object]
   The unemployment rate accelerated.
   [~ + object]
   Those policies accelerated unemployment.
2. to increase the speed (of): [~ + object]
   The driver accelerated the car.
   [no object]
   The car accelerated.
3. to hasten the occurrence of:
   [~ + object] The economic policies accelerated the recession.

ac•cel•er•a•tion /ækˌsɛləˈreɪʃən/  n. [uncountable] See -celer-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ac•cel•er•ate  (ak sel′ə rāt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
v.t. 

1. to cause faster or greater activity, development, progress, advancement, etc., in:
   to accelerate economic growth.
2. to hasten the occurrence of:
   to accelerate the fall of a government.
3. Mechanics to change the velocity of (a body) or the rate of (motion);
   cause to undergo acceleration.
4. to reduce the time required for (a course of study) by intensifying the work, eliminating detail, etc.

v.i. 

5. to move or go faster;
   increase in speed.
6. to progress or develop faster.

• Latin accelerātus speeded up (past participle of accelerāre), equivalent. to ac- ac- + celer swift + -ātus -ate¹
• 1515–25

ac•cel′er•a•ble, adj. 
ac•cel′er•at′ed•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

accelerate / ækˈsɛləˌreɪt/ verb

1. to go, occur, or cause to go or occur more quickly; speed up
2. (transitive) to cause to happen sooner than expected
3. (transitive) to increase the velocity of (a body, reaction, etc); cause acceleration

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin accelerātus, from accelerāre to go faster, from ad- (intensive) + celerāre to hasten, from celer swift

acˈcelerative, acˈceleratory adjective