Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Physics) A rate of increase of velocity: The measure of how quickly an object's speed or direction changes over time.
   • The act of accelerating; increasing the speed: The process of making something move or happen faster.
   • An increase in the rate of change: A situation where the pace of a process or development becomes quicker.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The car's acceleration from 0 to 60 mph was impressive.
  • The acceleration of the falling object is constant due to gravity.
  • We have seen an acceleration in technological progress over the last decade.

Advanced Usage

• "angular acceleration": The rate of change of angular velocity.
  • The engineer calculated the wheel's angular acceleration.
• "centripetal acceleration": The acceleration that keeps an object moving in a circular path, directed toward the center.
  • The centripetal acceleration is what keeps a satellite in orbit.

Variants and Related Words

• Accelerate (verb): To begin to move more quickly; to increase in rate, amount, or extent.
  • The economy began to accelerate in the second quarter.
• Accelerator (noun): A device for increasing speed, especially the pedal in a vehicle; or a machine that accelerates charged particles.
  • He pressed the accelerator to pass the truck.
• Accelerative (adjective): Tending to increase speed or cause acceleration.
  • The new policy had an accelerative effect on production.

Synonyms

• Quickening: The action of becoming faster.
• Speeding up: The act of increasing speed.
• Hastening: To cause something to happen sooner or more quickly.

Related Phrases

• Acceleration due to gravity: The acceleration of an object caused by the force of Earth's gravity, approximately 9.8 m/s².
  • The acceleration due to gravity is a fundamental constant in physics.
• Acceleration clause: A provision in a contract that makes all the money owed due immediately if a specific event occurs.
  • The loan's acceleration clause was triggered when the borrower missed a payment.

Noun

1. (physics) a rate of increase of velocity
2. the act of accelerating; increasing the speed
3. an increase in rate of change
   • modern science caused an acceleration of cultural change